


In Unlikely Places

by looneylizzie



Series: Together They Could Have Something [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (nothing graphic) - Freeform, (that one isn't as popular as it should be, Adopted Peter Parker, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Dissociation, F/M, Female Peter Parker, Gen, Human Trafficking, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Iron Man 1, Kid Peter Parker, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Mental Health Issues, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Penny Parker - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape Aftermath, So many tropes, This story has got lots of tropes folks, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Isn't Alone in Afghanistan (Besides Yinsen), Touch-Starved, selective mutism, which is a problem 'cause it's one of my favorites)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 52,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25120861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/looneylizzie/pseuds/looneylizzie
Summary: Their captor spoke, and Yinsen translated a moment later. “He says he’s brought you a gift.”The two guards tossed the body on the ground in the middle of the room. It took Tony a moment to realize that the body wasn’t just small, it was achild. A girl, perhaps five or six years old, unconscious and dressed in filthy rags that barely passed for a shirt and skirt, bruises visible on every inch of exposed skin. If it weren’t for the tiny whimper she gave upon hitting the ground, he would’ve thought she was dead.“A gift?” Tony asked, projecting his confusion over his rage. “Why would I want a kid?”~*~Or: Family can be found in the unlikeliest of places.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Ho Yinsen
Series: Together They Could Have Something [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819690
Comments: 450
Kudos: 1034
Collections: Irondad and his Iron kids, Tony Stark Has A Heart (deal with it)





	1. A Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [One Whose Worth Lies Far Within (A Diamond In the Rough)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255107) by [Emily_F6](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6). 
  * Inspired by [Never](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3561713) by [BaronessEmma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronessEmma/pseuds/BaronessEmma). 



> I’ve been reading MCU fanfic since Endgame last year and started writing a few different stories since, but this is the one I’m making the most consistent progress on, so here’s me making a leap of faith and posting something for the first time in a year.
> 
> This was in part inspired by two stories: [Never](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3561713/chapters/7844750) by BaronessEmma and [One Whose Worth Lies Far Within (A Diamond In the Rough)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255107/chapters/55687069) by Emily_F6. I combined a few of the basic concepts of both stories together with basically _all_ of my favorite Tony-Stark-Raises-Kid-Peter-Parker tropes and came up with this story.
> 
> As of right now, this story will be the first in a series and will only cover the first IM film, with a few accompanying short stories/one-shots that will follow that will cover moments of Penny’s life up through either CA:WS, AoU, or CA:CW, at which point I have multiple ideas that diverge from canon in a big way, so I may end up writing a full length fic set after that time ( _maybe._ I’m trying not to let my brain run away with things before I can actually write _this_ fic first).
> 
> Lots of trigger warnings for this fic, so please, _please_ heed the tags folks! If you think I need to add any, comment and let me know! Nothing will be described graphically, but there will be rather frank thoughts and discussions about potentially triggering subjects from time to time, so please be safe!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, looks like we’ll have to make some modifications to the plan then,” Tony said, catching Yinsen’s eye.
> 
> “I’m sure we can adapt,” Yinsen replied evenly, though there was an approving glimmer in his eye.

_“You got a family?”_

_“Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?”_

_“…no.”_

_“Ah. So you’re a man who has everything, but nothing.”_

**~*~**

Tony had lost track of how many days had passed since he’d been kidnapped. He’d never been particularly good at keeping track of time as it was, but being stuck in a cave 24/7 didn’t help. Yinsen probably knew, but Tony didn’t want to ask. It wasn’t exactly morale boosting information.

If he had to guess he’d probably say it’d been a few weeks, not including the time he’d been out of it after being operated on and then tortured.

Nevertheless, it’d been long enough for Tony and Yinsen to have developed a routine, during which Tony switched between mind-numbing boredom and heart-stopping terror whenever he wasn’t working on the suit. The suit thankfully provided an excellent distraction, but Yinsen insisted that Tony take regular breaks to eat and sleep. It was during those breaks that for the first time in his life, Tony preferred boredom.

It was even getting easier to push down his fear the longer he worked. It was always in the back of his mind, of course, but it was easier to ignore while the Ten Rings left him alone to work.

Until they showed up with something new. Or some _one,_ to be specific.

As per usual, Tony and Yinsen placed their hands on their heads when they heard shouting on the other side of the door to their cell/poor excuse of a workshop. The door swung open a moment later to reveal their despicable host and his usual gaggle of guards swinging _Tony’s_ guns around dangerously. Two other guards followed behind, dragging a small body between them.

Their captor spoke, and Yinsen translated a moment later. “He says he’s brought you a gift.”

The two guards tossed the body on the ground in the middle of the room. It took Tony a moment to realize that the body wasn’t just small, it was a _child_. A girl, perhaps five or six years old, unconscious and dressed in filthy rags that barely passed for a shirt and skirt, bruises visible on every inch of exposed skin. If it weren’t for the tiny whimper she gave upon hitting the ground, he would’ve thought she was dead.

“A gift?” Tony asked, projecting his confusion over his rage. “Why would I want a kid?”

Yinsen translated, and a short exchange of words later gave Tony his answer. “To relieve stress,” Yinsen said in an emotionless voice. “Since you cannot attend those parties you are so fond of.”

Tony’s blood ran cold as he realized what was implied and he had to fight the urge to vomit. Did they honestly think he would be desperate enough to _rape_ a _child_ just because they tossed one in his direction and he might be horny? The very thought was sickening.

He’d sooner seduce Yinsen.

He knew he had a reputation; it was well known that Tony Stark slept around. He just didn’t _do_ committed relationships. He liked his unattached status and didn’t plan on changing it anytime soon… unless the right person came along (or already had, but he was pretending his feelings for Pepper weren’t as deep as they were). Being in the public eye meant that the world thought his personal life was up for grabs, so he’d just opted to _not_ have one. ‘Tony Stark the genius CEO and philanthropist’ and ‘Tony Stark the billionaire playboy’ were what the media wanted, so that was what he gave them.

But while the media had said many, many things about Tony over the years that weren’t true — and even some awful things that were — not _once_ had he been accused of rape.

Why?

Because Tony Stark being a billionaire playboy meant he’d never had to look far to find someone willing to have sex with him. As reckless as he was, Tony had long since learned to be _very_ careful with his sex life. He took consent and birth control extremely seriously and wasn’t afraid to put things to a stop and be left unsatisfied for a night rather than for something to come back to haunt him down the line. It just wasn’t worth it.

He took it so seriously that he wouldn’t sleep with a woman unwilling to use the condoms he provided. He played it off as a matter of preference, but he’d also had more than one woman try to get him to use condoms they’d poked holes in themselves in the hopes of “accidentally” getting pregnant. While Tony might be irresponsible, he wasn’t irresponsible enough to father a child before he was ready to have one. And he certainly wasn’t irresponsible enough to land himself in court, drowning in sexual harassment and assault charges. There was a line and, much to everyone in his life’s exasperation, he regularly did a tightrope routine on it.

What they _didn’t_ know was that he wasn’t stupid enough to cross it.

He’d been on the receiving end of those who did and he had no intention of imitating them.

So no, Tony Stark might be a playboy, but he was _not_ a rapist. And certainly not a pedophile either.

In the split second before Tony replied with what would likely be a lot of disgust and yelling, he glanced down at the kid and hesitated. It didn’t take a genius to put at least some of the pieces together based on her appearance. It looked like she’d been used as a punching bag and there was no doubt she’d already been raped, judging by the men’s smirks and the kid’s ripped clothing. So if Tony rejected her, they’d probably just take her away again and continue abusing her the way they had been.

If Tony played along, however…

He eventually settled on a forced smile and a “Thank you.”

It didn’t have to be translated and the beaming smile and snickers that came from their captors made Tony’s skin crawl in disgust.

Both Tony and Yinsen waited until they were locked in again before moving and kneeling on either side of the kid. Yinsen immediately went into doctor mode, gently checking her vitals. She was out cold and didn’t react, which was both a relief and concerning.

Beyond the dirt, bruises and blood, the girl was caucasian, with hair he assumed was brown — but it was dirty enough to be hiding its true color. And she was _tiny_. Not just because of her age — she certainly wasn’t older than eight, and that was being generous — but because she was practically skin and bones. She was probably being starved, and had been for a long time to be as emaciated as she was.

It was horrifying, seeing a _child_ like that. It was all wrong, and if Tony felt out of his depth when he was being tortured and planning an escape, he was completely lost as to what to do next.

“Child trafficking?” Tony whispered, not wanting to risk waking the kid.

Yinsen hummed. “Most likely. Looks like she’s American or European. Makes her rare — valuable — here. To end up here… she likely has no family, no one to miss her. It makes it easier to smuggle her out of a country and bring her to a place where no one will look for her. It’s smart.”

“It’s _sick_ ,” Tony snapped, then took a deep breath. It was useless taking his anger out on the only ally he had. “Is she stable?”

“For now. I’ll let her rest on my cot—“

“No,” Tony interrupted. “Put her on mine. You need sleep and I won’t be able to any time soon. Will they come back for her?”

Yinsen shrugged, then lifted the kid and did as Tony requested; settling her into the cot and draping one of the few blankets they had over her, like he was tucking her in for the night. “I don’t know,” he answered after a moment. “I hope they do not because if she’s with us…”

“…then she’s not with _them_ ,” Tony finished, glad to see that they were on the same page. He looked down at the kid again, resolve hardening in his chest as his mind shifted towards their escape plan. “Well, looks like we’ll have to make some modifications to the plan then,” Tony said, catching Yinsen’s eye.

“I’m sure we can adapt,” Yinsen replied evenly, though there was an approving glimmer in his eye.

With that, Yinsen went to bed while Tony forced his thoughts to focus on escape plans and metal suits rather than the little girl fast asleep in his cot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony’s a playboy, but he’s a _responsible_ playboy. The man is far too smart to take unnecessary risks when it comes to _someone else’s_ life. As Iron Man, he puts himself in danger all the time, but he beats himself up the moment someone else becomes collateral for _his_ actions. That’s not something that develops after he builds the suit. That’s there from the very beginning and we see it in the guilt he feels over the soldiers’ deaths due to his weapons. I firmly believe that that same logic applies to other areas of his life, including sex. He’s a logical businessman, and I highly doubt he’d think one night of pleasure would be worth traumatizing a partner or bringing a child he wasn’t willing to raise himself into the world. The cost-benefit just doesn’t work out in his favor.
> 
> It’s one thing to be a womanizer. It’s another thing to be a predator.
> 
> Why would he care so much about this? Because there’s no doubt in my mind that his reputation attracted people willing to use it to take advantage of him… rich, famous, and known to drink and sleep around, especially from an early age? Yeah, _at the very least_ he’d probably had women trying to get pregnant by him, but he’s likely a victim of sexual assault as well, but he’d never admit it because no one would believe him. 
> 
> Ramble aside, I hope you all enjoyed this and please let me know what you think!


	2. Life Has Not Been Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you have any other family left?” Yinsen asked gently.
> 
> She shook her head and brought a fist to her eye to wipe the tears that had begun to fall. 
> 
> She was all alone. 
> 
> The fresh wave of pain in Tony’s already aching chest wasn’t from the arc reactor.
> 
> Yinsen sighed, putting the empty can of food to the side. “I am sorry, little one. It seems life has not been kind to you.” 
> 
> “We’re gonna get you out of here, kid,” Tony added. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, everyone! I’m FREAKING OUT because I was _not_ expecting everyone’s response to this story! I’ve literally been on cloud nine thanks to all of the hits, kudos, subscriptions and bookmarks for this story after only ONE chapter (no, I wasn’t obsessively refreshing the statistics page every few hours… that’s just nutty)! It’s mind boggling! And a massive THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed. Each and every one made me practically giddy with excitement!
> 
> I was so excited that I decided to post the second chapter earlier than planned. From here on out, I’ll be posting once a week — probably Sundays. I just finished the sixth chapter last night, all of which are significantly longer than both this chapter and the last, so don’t worry, there’s plenty to come! 
> 
> Do note that until this fic is marked complete, I consider the whole thing to be a WIP, meaning that I have a tendency to do little sneak edits from time to time — sometimes to correct grammar and such (so feel free to point mistakes out to me!), but sometimes I go back and change a few things that fit better with what I’ve written in later chapters (which is exactly what happened with this chapter last night). Any significant changes I’ll mention when I post a new chapter so y’all can go back and reread if you’d like. 
> 
> Also, I’m just going to go ahead and apologize now for my long, rambling A/Ns… it just happens when I’m excited.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this second chapter! Time to meet Penny!

The kid woke up while Yinsen was nagging Tony about eating something. He couldn’t call it breakfast, because they had no idea what time it was, but Yinsen had declared that it was morning and therefore Tony should eat.

It was a sign of how exhausted and hopeless Tony felt that he hadn’t put up much of a fight.

They were sitting, trying to keep warm by the fire in the forge and eating in relative silence when the kid started whimpering in her sleep. They waited to see if she would settle down again, only for her little limbs to begin thrashing about wildly. Yinsen immediately put his food down, but before he could get up to help her, the kid shot upright, eyes wide, tears streaming down her cheeks and breathing heavily.

“You are alright, little one,” Yinsen said softly as he stood up.

The kid whimpered again and she scrambled away, pushing herself back on the cot until she was pressed against the wall.

Yinsen moved to approach her, but Tony grasped his arm. “No, give her some space,” he whispered, eyes staying fixed on the kid. The other man sighed, but sat back down.

Tony could understand Yinsen’s desire to comfort the kid — Tony definitely wasn’t what anyone would qualify as parental, but even he felt the slight urge to try and reassure her that she was safe. Except this wasn’t a normal kid in normal circumstances. Neither of them were her parent. She was disoriented, confused and had just woken up from a nightmare; there was no way she’d be able to look at either of them and think that they were anything but threats.

It had taken Rhodey a long time to learn to keep his distance when Tony woke up from a nightmare when they were rooming together at MIT, and even longer for Tony to even accept comfort from him in the first place. Rhodey eventually realized that there were always a few minutes before Tony’s mind was fully conscious enough to be able to distinguish between his best friend and the after images of his drunken father.

Ignoring her, he focused back on his food instead, pointedly making small talk with Yinsen while they ate, keeping the kid in his peripheral view the entire time. Over the course of about fifteen minutes, her breathing seemed to have calmed down and the frenzied, desperate, terrified look on her face had softened. She was watching them warily, but from time to time would glance around the room, flashes of confusion, terror — and interestingly enough, curiosity — crossing her face as she spotted more and more details.

Once their food was gone, Yinsen prepared a small serving for the kid before turning to her. “Would you like some food?” he offered in a soft tone.

The kid flinched violently and tightened her grip on the blanket Yinsen had covered her with when he’d settled her on the cot.

“I’m gonna take that as a no,” Tony interpreted, quietly enough that only Yinsen could hear him.

Yinsen shot him a look of disapproval. “Has anyone ever told you that you have poor people skills?”

“No, I skipped that class when I graduated from high school at fourteen,” Tony retorted. “Not that it matters much, since the kid is… well, a kid. People skills don’t really apply to kids.”

“Something tells me you don’t have much experience with children,” Yinsen said dryly.

Tony smirked. “Wow. Astute observation. I’m impressed, really.”

Yinsen rolled his eyes. “Are you done?”

“Never. It’s part of my charm. So is my winning smile, see?” Tony said, pointing at his face while flashing his press smile — confident, charming, and just a little smug. He’d long ago discovered that it made people trust him. There was a huff from the kid that almost could’ve been amusement, so Tony quickly turned to her and winked. “See what I mean? The kid gets it.”

The kid didn’t flinch, but she didn’t smile either, so Tony took it as a win. Instead, she looked down at her lap, fiddling with her fingers and looking up at them through her tiny lashes. She seemed slightly less tense, so Tony thought it was a good moment to start moving forward.

“That’s Yinsen, by the way,” Tony said. “He’s a doctor most of the time, but right now he’s kinda like my sidekick. And I’m Tony. Tony Stark.” The kid’s eyes seemed to light up and she straightened, nodding twice, which Tony took as a positive sign. “Ah, so you’ve heard of me?” Again, she nodded, and Tony offered a small smile in return. “Well, what about you, kid? Got a name?”

She opened her mouth to speak… but no sound came out. She opened and closed her mouth a few times like a fish before huffing. Her fists clenched and she bit her lip, like she was unsure and frustrated. Tony got the feeling that she _wanted_ to speak, but something was stopping her. Finally, she shook her head, patted her lips, and shook her head again.

He hummed, figuring that talking wasn’t really on the table for whatever reason, but it wasn’t he time to try and figure it out. In the meantime, they’d figure out their own way of communicating. “Yeah, I guess talking is kinda hard sometimes,” he said casually. “That’s alright. I’m not one for names anyway. Nicknames are kinda my thing, Thumbelina.”

The kid ducked her head, but looked like she was trying to hide a smile, so he figured he must’ve done something right.

Tony glanced at Yinsen, expecting him to continue the conversation. However, Yinsen gave him a look that said he should keep talking — although for the life of him Tony couldn’t fathom _why_. When Yinsen finally held up the food he’d served up for her, Tony realized what he wanted.

“Alright Smurfette, now that we’re not total strangers anymore, is it alright if Yinsen gives you some food? It’s not an American cheeseburger, but we’re a little ways away from the nearest Burger King.”

The kid eyed the food, then Yinsen, then Tony before nodding once.

Yinsen slowly got up, food and water in hand, and crossed the room. It wasn’t a particularly long distance, but it seemed further with how slowly he moved. Yet with each step, the kid seemed to shrink back a little further and curl up a little smaller until he was close enough to offer her the bowl of food. “It’s alright, little one. We will not hurt you, I promise. We only want to help,” Yinsen said, waiting for her to reach the rest of the distance to take it from him.

Her gaze danced between the food in his hand and his face, even as she began trembling violently and tears started forming in her eyes. After about thirty seconds of waiting, Yinsen went from bending over to crouching down, so that he was level with her.

She let out a soft sigh of relief at the change, and sat up a little straighter, though she was still visibly shivering in fear. Yinsen, clearing noticing what Tony had, adjusted so that he was sitting cross legged on the floor, so that he was several inches shorter than her if she was sitting up on the cot.

Tony noted the change in dynamic for future reference. People looming over her was probably a trigger.

She reached out to take the food with hands shaking so hard Tony was afraid she’d drop it. She seemed to realize it as well, because she paused, looking from her hands to the food and biting her lip.

“Would you like me to help you?” Yinsen asked, his tone gentle and without judgement.

Again, it took a moment of consideration before she nodded, sighing again when Yinsen just smiled. “Very well, let’s start with a drink first,” he suggested, uncapping the water and slowly, gently holding it to her lips. She brought her own hand up to help, but carefully avoided touching Yinsen at all.

Another note for future reference.

Tony waited while Yinsen helped her drink and then started to eat before he piped up again, his curiosity winning out over his patience. “Hey, mind if I ask you a few questions? You can just nod yes or no to answer.”

She tensed, but quickly recovered and looked over at him and nodded to indicate she was listening.

“I’m gonna take a guess and say you’re American?” Tony guessed, figuring he should start out simple.

She nodded.

“That’s how you know who I am, right? From the news?”

Another nod.

Then Tony frowned, because it was rare for a child as young as the kid to be interested in anything Tony Stark; Weapons Designer did. “Wait, why would a five year old be watching me on the news?”

The kid huffed and held up six fingers, the message clear: _I’m six, not five._

Tony rolled his eyes. “Like there’s much of a difference,” he said, smirking at the offended look on her face that was more like a really adorable pout. “Still, I don’t have a lot of fans that young, not unless they’re into science and engineering,” Tony mused, watching her reactions carefully. He was trying to keep things lighthearted while still getting information about the kid. Not only because he was curious, but it’d be good to know once they got out of the Ten Rings’ stupid cave.

Because she was definitely coming with them. Contrary to popular belief, Tony _did_ have a heart. Not one he used often, but enough to recognize that leaving a little kid behind in a cave filled with terrorists willing to hurt her was very, very wrong.

Sure enough, her eyes lit up the way they did when he first introduced himself, and when accompanied by a smile, she looked like a normal _kid_ for the first time, with hopes and dreams and _life_ that was only hiding deep inside due to her circumstances. She nodded twice, and Tony’s grin was genuine. Maybe the kid wasn’t as broken down as she appeared.

“Are you? You must be pretty smart then. I bet your family’s proud of you.”

It was like he’d cut the strings of a puppet as she deflated, tears instantly filling her eyes. But despite the sadness, she nodded.

Yinsen shot Tony a look, and he felt a rare flash of shame. His plan to keep things lighthearted had failed spectacularly. “Awe, I’m sorry kiddo. I’m sure they’re missing you, wherever they are.”

Tony had never been good with feelings, so it really shouldn’t have been a shock when his words only seemed to make her feel worse, not better. Crap. He shot Yinsen a pleading look, only to frown when she shook her head.

“They don’t miss you?”

Shake.

He suddenly felt sick. “Are they the reason you’re here?”

Another shake, this one fiercer than the last.

So she’d had a good family. Given the tears, it was one that loved her. Maybe she’d been kidnapped, or maybe it was as Yinsen said before, and her family was gone and she had no one left to look for her.

“They’re dead, aren’t they?” Yinsen was the one to ask, his tone just as mournful as the kid looked.

She sniffled and nodded.

Tony didn’t quite know what to say. When his parents had died, there was nothing anyone could say that was even remotely comforting, nor was there anything _he_ could say to the kid that would do her any good either. Losing one’s parents was bad enough. Losing one’s parents at _six_ was worse. Losing one’s parents at six and then being taken by child traffickers and sold to a bunch of terrorists and rapists was unimaginable.

Yet she was still alive. Not completely lost, simply buried beneath more trauma than any human, much less a kid, should experience in a lifetime. If anything, it spoke to her resiliency. If Tony could get her out… if he could save her, maybe it would be his first step towards redemption.

“Do you have any other family left?” Yinsen asked gently.

She shook her head and brought a fist to her eye to wipe the tears that had begun to fall.

She was all alone.

The fresh wave of pain in Tony’s already aching chest wasn’t from the arc reactor.

Yinsen sighed, putting the empty can of food to the side. “I am sorry, little one. It seems life has not been kind to you.”

“We’re gonna get you out of here, kid,” Tony added. “I promise.”

The kid didn’t seem to hear their words. Instead, she sniffled again, then curled up on her side and buried her face in the blanket. The three sat for a while, the only noise coming from her muffled crying.

Eventually, her shaking came to a stop, and she gave one last shuddering sigh before her body relaxed completely.

“She asleep?” Tony whispered.

“I believe so,” Yinsen replied as he slowly got to his feet. He eased the blanket from the kid’s grip enough to cover the rest of her body, then took off his own suit coat and draped it over her as well. Scooping up the food and water he’d given the kid while Tony was questioning her, Yinsen returned to his spot beside Tony. “Next time she wakes, I would like to do a quick physical examination. The way she was holding herself… she may have a bruised or fractured rib. I also fear that there may be unseen damage from… _them_.”

Tony winced, understanding the implication. Odds were that their captors had injured her while raping her, the question was just how much and if there were long term consequences, and there was only one way of finding out. “Might not be a good idea, doc. I thought we were trying to get her to trust us?”

Yinsen pursed his lips and nodded, taking off his glasses and wiping them on a relatively clean spot on the sleeve of his shirt. “Yes, but any open wounds could become infected, and without proper medical treatment, it could potentially be fatal. At least cleaning any wounds is better than nothing. We also have no idea how long they will leave her here with us, especially once they see that you have no intention of using their _gift_.” He nodded towards the camera.

Tony’s jaw clenched, hating that he had a point. “You think you’ll be able to convince her?”

“Maybe, but you will have a better chance, I think,” Yinsen said with a slight upward twitch of his lips. “You are a familiar face, even if you have never met before. She knows you, likes you even. She’ll be more inclined to trust you than me.”

Tony hummed, because he had a point. “What about the talking?” he asked. “D’you think that’s a physical or mental thing?”

He tilted his head in consideration. “I can check, but she makes sounds, so it could be psychological. Someone here may also have threatened her into silence and she is afraid to speak for fear of punishment.”

“So if we can convince her she won’t be punished with us, she’ll start talking?”

“Perhaps,” he replied slowly. “Or she may have trouble talking due to trauma. I’ve seen it before; someone goes through something so horrible that their minds prevent them from communicating normally. Sometimes it takes years before that block breaks down enough to allow the individual to speak again. The mind is a funny thing, and develops all sorts of strange coping mechanisms in reaction to trauma.”

Tony raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I suppose there are worse ways of dealing.” He sighed. “Alright, so there’s no point in trying to get her to talk if she doesn’t want to. That’s a problem for once we get out of here.”

Yinsen tilted his head to the side, curious. “How do you plan to do that? The suit is impressive, no doubt, but your current plan involves a lot of explosives going off.”

“I’m working on it,” Tony said with more confidence than he felt. “I’ve done the whole kidnapping and escaping thing a few times now. I’ve learned that pretty much any plan goes well for about five minutes, then the rest is just improvisation.” He managed a half-smile. “Besides, I was the kid’s age the first time I escaped some kidnappers trying to hold me for ransom, so depending on how resourceful she is, she might even be able to help,” he finished with a shrug.

Yinsen’s expression was dubious at best. Tony had mentioned that he’d escaped his kidnappers before, but not how young he’d been. The doctor looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually sighed and shook his head. “And what happens to her after?” he asked softly. “She has no family left. Where would she go?”

“Somewhere safe,” Tony replied.

He couldn’t say exactly what qualified as ‘somewhere safe’ for the six year old child, but Tony knew that one way or another, he would find it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Thoughts? Favorite lines? Is it what you were expecting? Let me know!


	3. P-E-N-N-Y

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shake of her head and the repeated letter drawn once more into his palm and he had it. “P?”
> 
> She nodded, practically beaming at him. Soon, other letters followed, Tony calling them out as he deciphered them. It took a minute, because they were all written backwards, a perfect mirror image of the correct shape. “E. N. N. Y. Penny?” another nod, but he frowned. “Why would you— _oh_ , that’s your name!”
> 
> Another giggle had him grinning. A few more minutes of spelling — occasionally interrupted by a pause and a look of intense concentration while the kid mouthed letters to herself (which, Tony would never admit out loud, was just plain _adorable_ ) — and Tony learned her full name: P-E-N-N-E-L-O-P-E-E. P-A-R-C-K-E-R.
> 
> Tony assumed that spelling wasn’t her strong suit, considering her behavior and the excess letters — on top of them all being written backwards for some reason. “Penelope Parker?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Happy Sunday!
> 
> Holy cow, I’m still blown away by the response to this story! Thank you so much to everyone who has read, kudosed, subscribed to and reviewed this story so far. You’re all amazing!
> 
> Good news is that I’ve finished the seventh chapter. Bad news is that I’m a little stuck on the eighth. Other good news is that I’m NOT stuck on the ninth. Basically, chapter eight is a filler and I need some material. So, if anyone would like to see something happen with Penny, Tony or Yinsen, let me know! And yes, fluff is allowed. ;)
> 
> Enjoy, and I’ll see y’all next week!

The second time the kid woke up, it was once again thanks to a nightmare (something told him that was going to be a recurring thing). This time, her breathing became shallow and rapid, but she was otherwise silent. It was her fighting in her sleep that got their attention, as her limbs flailed around and knocked over the bottle of water Yinsen had set on a box-turned-bedside table.

Tony was utilizing Yinsen’s steady hands for some finer wiring, so he was the first to react. On instinct, he rushed over to the kid, reaching out a placating hand and murmuring reassurances in a low, even tone. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, pipsqueak. You’re safe. It’s just a bad dream. You’re safe.”

Her thrashing stopped as her face turned to him in her panic, breathing hitching and practically trembling from head to toe. As he approached, she scrambled backwards, head smacking into the wall in her effort to create some distance between them and Tony instantly stopped.

_Right. Looming._

“Sorry, it’s okay. It’s just me, Tony, remember?” He quickly plopped down on the ground as soon as he was within arm’s reach but didn’t attempt to touch her. “Tony. And Yinsen. We’re not gonna hurt you. You’re safe.” Her eyes were glazed over, clearly not able to recognize him just yet, and she whimpered so quietly that he could hardly hear her. “Hey, hey, do me a favor and breathe,” Tony said in a low, even tone, trying to bring her mind out of the dream and into reality. “Deep breaths, like mine.” He inhaled and exhaled and was pleased as she attempted to copy him.

It took several minutes of Tony guiding her breathing to calm her, but eventually her shoulders slumped, her chin falling to her chest as some of the tension left her body… or as much as was able to, considering the circumstances. There was a clear, constant undercurrent of fear that Tony could relate to — a part of the mind that was always on edge, waiting for their captors to come back and hurt them again.

Because Tony was closer than he had been the last time the kid had been awake, he could see how stiffly she was holding her torso, her left arm tucked close to her ribs, and he could understand why Yinsen wanted to check her over. Based on the bruising he could see through the large rip in her shirt over the area, there was definitely something wrong there. Her arm could also be injured, but it was hard to tell because the most intact portion of her clothing was her left sleeve, which was long enough to reach her wrist and baggy enough to hide any possible swelling that might indicate an injury.

The kid seemed to notice him observing her and reached her right arm up to cover the rip in her shirt, clearly uncomfortable with him looking. Which was fair, so Tony averted his gaze and forced a smile. “Morning, squirt,” he said softly. He didn’t ask if she was doing okay, because she clearly wasn’t.

“Mr. Stark,” Yinsen said behind him, and Tony turned around to see him holding up two bowls of food. “Breakfast.”

Even though the idea of eating made him nauseous, Tony nodded and tried to sound enthusiastic about the prospect because he didn’t want to discourage the kid from eating. It had to be important for her health or something for Yinsen to be pushing for her to eat so frequently. “Good, I’m starving!” he exclaimed, reaching out for the bowls. Yinsen approached and placed them on the ground beside Tony (he seemed to have picked up on Tony’s more recent aversion to being handed things) before going to pick up the knocked over water bottle and returning it to its place.

The kid flinched back with Yinsen so close and winced when her head pressed against the wall again. A hand came up to rub at the spot, and for a second Tony was afraid she’d given herself another injury. Thankfully there was no blood, and he highly doubted she’d hit it hard enough to cause a concussion, so he figured she might end up with a bruise and a headache. Both of which sucked, but ultimately weren’t life threatening.

“Eat up, small fry,” he said, picking up her bowl and putting it beside her on the cot in order to distract her.

She hesitated for a moment, but complied, hands shaky as she reached for the bowl, but not so bad that she couldn’t handle feeding herself. As soon as the bowl was in her grasp, she sighed, cradling it so that her palms were completely flat against the bowl’s surface. As she held the steaming food up to her face, Tony realized that she was simply basking in its warmth.

He decided to leave her to it and dug into his own meager meal. He stole glances at her out of the corner of his eye when he could, noting her runny nose that he’d at first thought was a result of her crying, but now suspected had something to do with either being sick or simply being cold. The forge wasn’t on at the moment, and as a result, the cave had cooled down significantly and the cooking fire just couldn’t compete. Tony had layered up with the hoodie and jacket he’d acquired, along with the fingerless gloves and hat he’d been given.

The kid, however, was only in a thin button down shirt of an undetermined color — it _looked_ brown, but something told him it wasn’t — that was ripped to the point that it was barely holding together, along with a skirt — also ‘brown’ — that barely reached her knobby little knees with a frayed hem, a sign that it had likely been longer at some point.

Tony tried not to show the anger boiling in his gut at the men who had hurt her — raped her — … a six-year-old _child_.

Instead, he forced it down, only for it to rise up again when his gaze shifted to her bare feet. They were filthy, and at least one toe was crooked in a way that looked like it had broken and then healed wrong. Grand scheme, it wasn’t the worst of her injuries, but there was something about having bare feet that felt vulnerable… unprotected feet were easier to injure. Injuries that could compromise one’s ability to walk or run… limiting movement and in the long run, making it harder to escape.

He had no doubt the move was intentional on the Ten Rings’ part.

Shaking his head, Tony decided to push the thoughts from his mind and focus on what the terrified child in front of him was doing. She was finally eating and her cheeks looked a little pinker and her face a little less miserable, so he guessed the food and warmth was helping.

“So,” he eventually said, desperate to break the not-tense-but-not-exactly-comfortable silence between the three of them. The kid looked up, but didn’t flinch or otherwise react. “Since you’re into engineering, I could tell you about something I built that _isn’t_ in the news, if you want me to?” he offered, for lack of any other ideas for potential (and mostly one-sided) conversation.

Her eyes widened and she nodded instantly, so Tony immediately launched into the tale of the first robot he built as a teenager at MIT.

Throughout the story, Yinsen occasionally interrupted with a question or Tony had to pause and remind the kid to eat because she was too busy staring at Tony in awe. It was — dare he say it — kind of cute. Definitely strange, considering their environment. Still, it was preferable to the other expressions she’d had aimed his way previously, so he wasn’t going to complain.

By the time he got to the end, she’d finished her food and had stopped trembling entirely.

“…then my roommate walks in, takes a look around — from the still smoking trash can, to the hole in the wall, to me, covered in foam from the fire extinguisher — sighs and says that for a genius, I could be pretty dumb. Of course, it wasn’t _my_ fault; it was the bot’s, so I told him who the real dummy was. After that, it just stuck, and the bot’s name officially became DUM-E.” He let out a put-upon sigh. “‘Course, his siblings aren’t much better. When one of ‘em came online for the first time, I said ‘hey, you’ and then he wouldn’t answer to anything else. U’s more competent, I’d say, but he’s not very good at following directions, unlike DUM-E, who just doesn’t know _how_ to follow them. Butterfingers, of course, is the baby and a total klutz. I swear, I’ve checked his coding a thousand times, but no, he’s just incapable of holding anything for longer than thirty seconds without dropping it. One of these days, I’m just gonna donate them all to a community college or something.” He said the last part with a shake of his head and a fond smile, indicating that he was joking.

Then the kid _giggled_ in response.

At the sound, something in his chest warmed and he felt a true smile form on his lips because it was perhaps the greatest sound he’d ever heard. Not just because it was freakin’ adorable (because it totally was), but because it was a happy sound in a dark place, a reminder that life hadn’t always been so miserable and terrifying, a full breath of fresh air despite the reactor continually preventing his lungs from expanding the way they once had.

It was a lifeline, and Tony knew he’d do whatever he had to to make the kid giggle more often.

Of course, as soon as the sound passed her lips, her eyes widened and she froze, her arm lifting in a way that looked like she was waiting for a blow.

If there was one thing Tony had discovered in his life, body language often spoke volumes, revealing more than words ever could. In fact, he was hyperaware of his own body language, having learned a long time ago how to say everything without giving anything away or how to hide his true feelings by acting out another. Howard had often pointed out that Tony’s eyes were his weakness; too expressive for the cutthroat business world. Obie had a better poker face… unless Tony was wearing sunglasses.

People often offered him pretty words because he was a powerful man who could give them something he wanted, and it was only through body language that he was able to discern fact from greed.

The kid’s body language didn’t take much deciphering, however. Everything about her screamed fear; the kind of fear that sunk deep into one’s very bones and would only disappear once they’d turned to dust.

Her every muscle was tensed, as though she was in perpetual flight or fight mode and it took concentration to do neither unless triggered. Every flinch, every whimper, every tremor, every tear had a cause, something in the present that could be associated with past negative experiences that told the body to react in preparation for pain.

Guessing the cause was the difficult part.

The reaction was instinctual, he knew, but it still felt like he’d gotten punched in the gut when he realized that the cause was her fear of punishment for _giggling_. Or perhaps more accurately: making a sound. It would explain her inability to talk.

Tony didn’t quite know how to reassure her that he wouldn’t hurt her for making a sound, so he decided to _show_ her by simply ignoring it. “I think they’d like you, squirt,” he added gently, imagining how his bots would fuss over her the moment she walked in. They’d never met a kid before (except DUM-E, who Tony built while he was still a teenager, but at that point the difference was more a matter of maturity than physical size), so he’d have to warn them to be gentle, but he had no doubt they’d be fascinated by meeting a tiny human.

Then he panicked, wondering how the kid had turned him so… _soft_ so quickly.

He was drawn from his thoughts when he noticed that the kid was holding out a hand. She was guarded, ready to pull back in a heartbeat, but there was also something hopeful in her eyes that showed she was trusting him not to take advantage of it. It was mind-boggling, that she was so willing to take such a risk when her body language _screamed_ that she had every reason not to.

Nevertheless, she held her hand palm up, fingers curling in as if beckoning for something, but he couldn’t tell what. Then she pointed to _his_ hand and he got it. Slowly, he lifted his own hand and held it beside hers, mimicking the position.

Both of her tiny, cold, little hands wrapped around his fingers and pulled it a little closer. He had to refrain from yanking his hand back in surprise or looking too uncomfortable, but maintain a relaxed and open position so as not to frighten her. It was the first kind of physical contact _and_ communication she’d initiated, so he wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize it.

Because for the most part he had no idea what he was doing with the kid, so really it was better to just let her dictate the terms of their interactions, wasn’t it?

He watched, fascinated, as she used one finger to draw a shape into the center of his palm, looking up at him and waiting for… something. When he didn’t get it, she repeated the shape, then a third time before Yinsen piped up. “I believe she is writing, Mr. Stark.”

She smiled and nodded eagerly, then repeated the shape once more. “B?” he asked, heart thudding at the extent of trust she was extending him.

A shake of her head and the repeated letter drawn once more into his palm and he had it. “P?”

She nodded, practically beaming at him. Soon, other letters followed, Tony calling them out as he deciphered them. It took a minute, because they were all written backwards, a perfect mirror image of the correct shape. “E. N. N. Y. Penny?” another nod, but he frowned. “Why would you— _oh_ , is that your name?”

Another giggle had him grinning, especially when she didn’t stiffen in fear. A few more minutes of spelling — occasionally interrupted by a pause and a look of intense concentration while the kid mouthed letters to herself (which, Tony would never admit out loud, was just plain _adorable_ ) — and Tony learned her full name: P-E-N-N-E-L-O-P-E-E. P-A-R-C-K-E-R.

Tony assumed that spelling wasn’t her strong suit, considering her behavior and the excess letters — on top of them all being written backwards for some bizarre reason. “Penelope Parker?” he asked, enjoying the way her eyes lit up, pleased that he understood. He figured the poor spelling was excusable, since she was _six_ , and wasn’t that when normal children just started to learn how to write? And her name was pretty long, so she probably had more practice writing her nickname than her full name.

“Penny Parker,” he said, the syllables rolling off of his tongue so easily it felt like he’d been saying her name for years. He shifted his hand so that she could shake it if she chose. “It’s nice to meet you, Penny.”

Slowly, Penny took his hand and shook it, grin never wavering when she met his eye. It was mind-boggling, how happy she looked, considering the circumstances. It made him wonder what she was like when their lives didn’t totally suck. Was she the kind of kid who only managed to keep a smile while facing darkness, or was she just naturally a happy child?

To Tony’s surprise, Penny let go of his hand and turned to hold hers out to Yinsen. By the look on the other man’s face, he was just as surprised, but it quickly morphed into a pleased expression. He slowly got up and took her hand to shake it, gentler than Tony had. “You have a lovely name, Penny.”

Penny blushed, then made a gesture with her free hand, palm flat and facing her as she placed the tips of her fingers against her chin, then extended her hand out towards Yinsen. Tony frowned, confused as to what she was trying to say, but the other man just chuckled. “You are welcome.”

Ah. It was ASL — the sign for thank you. That particular factoid had been buried somewhere in the depths of his mind, but it had been a while since Pepper had taught him a few basic signs when he’d once met with an investor who was deaf.

At that thought, he mentally combed through what little he knew to see if there was anything that could be useful while Penny’s mind kept her voice box on lockdown. There were a few, but they all had to do with exchanging pleasantries (and a few _definitely_ not-child-appropriate signs that he’d had J.A.R.V.I.S. look up… for curiosity’s sake), which wouldn’t get them very far. Unless, of course, either Penny or Yinsen were slightly better educated on the matter.

There was a sharp inhale from Penny when she shifted a little on the cot and Tony grimaced. By the tension that had returned to her shoulders, she was in pain. He and Yinsen shared a glance, and by the way the doctor’s lips flattened and his jaw set, Tony could guess what was coming next.

“Penny,” Yinsen said softly. “Are you injured?”

She blinked a few times and bit her lip, then reluctantly nodded once. The way she started leaning away from them seemed almost unconscious on her part.

Yinsen nodded, his expression looking almost relieved for a second. That she was injured wasn’t a surprise. That she answered honestly was the relieving part. “Alright, do you remember what Mr. Stark told you about me yesterday?”

Penny’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then smoothed out as she reached for his hand. He complied, waiting patiently as she spelled a word out with shaky fingers on his palm. Far shakier than they had been with Tony. Perhaps Yinsen had been right the day before when he said the kid would be more inclined to trust Tony than him.

“Yes, that’s right. I am a doctor,” Yinsen replied once she’d finished. “And with your permission, I would like to check your injuries.”

Before he even finished speaking, Penny was shaking her head and breathing heavily as she pressed against the wall once more.

A look from Yinsen told Tony to jump in. “Penny,” he said soothingly. “Breathe, kid. It’s okay. You’re safe, remember? We’re not gonna hurt you. Especially Yinsen,” he said confidently, because it was absolutely true. Of the two of them, Tony knew he was far more likely to do something or say something stupid and hurt the kid’s feelings than Yinsen would.

But at the moment, Penny’s emotional pain stemmed from physical pain and trauma, and that, at least, was a little easier for Tony to avoid contributing to. As long as he let her call the shots, he’d probably be able to avoid adding to the giant pile of crap she was going through.

Maybe. Hopefully.

He exaggerated his breathing again, waiting for her to follow along before continuing to speak. “Penny, I’m gonna be real with you for a sec. Yinsen and I know the guys who brought you here have been hurting you… a lot. And I know you’re scared — you’ve got every right to be — but, we’re not like them. We don’t want to be here and we _definitely_ don’t want to hurt you. In fact, we’re gonna do everything we can to protect you… to keep you safe. That’s why Yinsen’s not gonna do _anything_ unless you give the green light first.”

Penny’s eyes were wide — and a little unfocused? Distant? He wasn’t quite sure — as she watched him, occasionally glancing at Yinsen worriedly, but otherwise her panic had seemed to calm down. She considered his words, then sniffled and bit her lip, clearly still unsure. Which was better than nothing.

“Look,” he continued, trying to make his tone a little lighter. “Yinsen’s just worried. It’s a doctor thing. They see people hurting and they wanna help make it better, that’s all. Doctors have this saying — it’s like the first rule of… doctoring? Is that the word? Whatever — it’s ‘Do No Harm’. D’you know what that means?”

She held two fists up, crossed at the wrists, and flicked them out, like she was miming a set of double doors swinging open. She repeated the sign, then held out an expectant hand like she had earlier. This time Tony didn’t hesitate to offer up his palm so that she could spell out the word. Once again, the letters were all written as the perfect mirror images of themselves (it was kind of impressive actually. Perhaps she had some form of dyslexia?) but the message was clear:

S-A-F-E.

She repeated the sign a third time, then looked to see if he’d understood.

“That’s right,” he replied easily. “You’re safe.”

“Yes,” Yinsen chimed in. “You are, Penny. I’ll be very careful, I promise.”

Penny’s gaze focused on Yinsen for a good minute, then bit her lip and glanced at Tony, like she needed a little more reassurance, but Tony wasn’t quite sure what else he could say. He sighed, and the increasingly familiar ache in his chest gave him an idea.

“Y’know how I know Yinsen’s not gonna hurt you?” he asked, moving a hand up to pull his jacket open enough to reveal the glowing reactor in his chest when she nodded. “Because he saved my life when he put this thing in my chest.” Her eyes widened, though he wasn’t sure whether it was in fear, surprise or awe. Maybe all three. “It’s keeping some shrapnel from entering my heart. Without it, I’d be dead,” he said bluntly, not really wanting to go into detail and determinedly not looking in Yinsen’s direction.

He owed the man everything, but Tony wasn’t sure he’d be able to look the man in the eye and say how grateful he was. And for everything he’d done to help since.

Penny tore her eyes away from the arc reactor to look at Yinsen, as if looking for verification. “I have very steady hands,” he said simply, holding them up and wiggling his fingers.

The smile she gave him was hesitant and wavering, but she squared her shoulders and nodded, indicating that she was alright with Yinsen checking her over.

With the all clear, the doctor wasted no time and immediately started with several carefully worded questions. By the third one — and a half dozen looks from Penny that he couldn’t quite read — Tony realized that he probably shouldn’t stick around much longer. Not that he could go far, but at least a little bit of distance might give them at least the illusion of privacy. His presence would probably make her uncomfortable before long anyway.

Before Yinsen could ask his fourth question, Tony cleared his throat and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go back to work, give you guys some space…” he trailed off awkwardly, only waiting a beat before getting up and heading over to the forge to get it started. The wiring Yinsen was working on before Penny had woken up could wait, and in the meantime, there were a million other things he could work on to distract him.

Once the forge was going, he looked through his blueprints, only half of his mind focused on the task at hand, while the other half was kicking him for just getting up and leaving so abruptly. The sensible voice in his head could admit that it had less to do with respecting Penny’s privacy and more to do with Tony running away from something he couldn’t handle. He was honestly terrified of how he might react seeing real, physical evidence of the abuse Penny had faced for who knows how long.

It was one thing to conclude that she’d been raped based on innuendo and behavior (both hers and their kidnappers’ goons). To be aware of it on an intellectual level. It was another thing entirely to see the physical evidence of the ways the Ten Rings had tortured her… a _child_.

It wasn’t that Tony was uncomfortable with the human body or discussing sex… it was just… Penny was _six_. She’d been _raped_. It felt wrong on so many levels to witness her in such a vulnerable state, and if he did, he doubted his reaction would calm or helpful. In fact, he’d probably make things worse somehow. It was better if he kept his distance. He was already in way over his head just interacting with the kid.

His thoughts were running a mile a minute and his hands were busy working on… something — he honestly wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, but it wasn’t a new sensation. His body was on autopilot and therefore doing a terrible job of distracting him from the gasps, sniffles and occasional whimpers from Penny that interrupted Yinsen’s constant stream of steady, calm murmuring.

He couldn’t tell what Yinsen was saying, but each sound Penny made, no matter how soft, felt like a punch to the gut, taking his breath away. Anger mixed with sadness and left him with a familiar itchy feeling — a desire to _fix_ , because Tony was a mechanic and that’s what mechanics did: fix things. Except Penny was a person and fixing people was _not_ in Tony’s wheelhouse, because fixing people was complicated and messy and sometimes it couldn’t be done at all and that was somehow okay?

Looking down at the glowing circle in his chest, he supposed it’d have to be, because there was no fixing that. Physically and mentally.

But that didn’t stop the feeling of wanting to fix, and to _be_ fixed. No matter how much he wanted to comfort Penny, to protect her, to commit extreme acts of violence against the men who’d hurt her (and him)… none of it would be worth anything if he couldn’t get her out. She deserved to live a _life_ , and the only way he could fix _that_ was to escape and get her somewhere she was really, truly safe.

It was that thought that allowed him to properly focus on the suit. It was their best chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this story goes on, Tony is probably going to seem increasingly OOC. Some of it is intentional in the sense that Penny’s going to influence him in a pretty big way during a time he’s already making some already massive changes. I think her presence has a higher (and faster) impact on his life in these circumstances rather than literally any other point in Tony’s life. In canon, he changed in a big way after Afghanistan, so it kinda makes sense that having to care for a traumatized little girl who trusts him more than anyone else and _needs_ him to be gentle and genuine and _emotional_ in a way he’s never been before. And he’s at a point where his whole world has been torn to shreds, so he’s gotta do what he does best: adapt, and that includes being emotionally available for Penny (but only Penny, really).
> 
> As such, he’s probably going to seem… softer than canon Tony, and as seen in this chapter, it’s already starting to show. In addition to that, because he’s decided to let Penny dictate the terms of their interactions, he’s going to put _her_ needs above his own faster than he’d probably be comfortable with on his own. While Penny is currently terrified of pretty much everything, she’s also a touch-starved child and will quickly turn to Tony for comfort once she decides to trust him that way (and I mean _quick_. I’ve already written it and it’s like a flip is switched — don’t worry, it’s for good reason… just know that Penny gets a long-overdue hug…ish).
> 
> Another part of Tony’s potential OOCness also stems from the fact that I write Tony’s thoughts as much more emotional than he would ever express externally. I try to keep his dialogue with certain people true to canon, but he’ll be different with Penny. I don’t see Tony as emotionally _unaware_ ; he just has years and years of experience hiding it ( _not_ suppressing it!) from the world. Just look at his interactions with Pepper (especially in IM3) — he’s far more affectionate and expressive with her than anyone else and that’s a choice on his part. A sign of trust.
> 
> As such, the rude, condescending, snarky Tony we see most of the time in the movies? That’s _Tony Freakin’ Stark_ and he’s a persona Tony uses to put on a show. And I’ve read a lot of stories where this is done, but it’s usually further along in Tony’s character development and generally implied that in his past, the persona was genuine — or that the real Tony was heavily suppressed. The Tony in this story? He’s been faking it the whole time — he’s not hiding behind a mask, he’s _wearing_ it. It’s intentional — he can (and does) take it off when he wants to.
> 
> ——
> 
> _Every time you leave a review, an angel gets its wings._


	4. Hotel California

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave._
> 
> The lyrics came to him unbidden, words he’d sung a thousand times in his workshop, but had never bothered to interpret. 
> 
> Physically, Penny couldn’t escape, but if her mind could… “Her mind’s protecting itself,” Tony concluded. “If she can’t remember the worst of it, then it’s easier to deal with… to keep going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay with this chapter. Yesterday was rough.
> 
> Thank you thank you to everyone who has read, kudosed, subscribed and reviewed thus far! You’re all fantastic! And it’s incredibly motivating. (And I’ll get caught up on replying to your wonderful comments soon, I promise!)
> 
> Am nearly done with chapter eight, which is the calm before the storm, ‘cause nine and ten are real doozies. ;)
> 
> Oh, OH! And check [this](https://clementinesandepoch.tumblr.com/post/623699479227400192/decided-to-do-a-wee-doodle-for-looneylizzies-new) out! ClementineDebauched drew Penny! Isn’t she adorable?! :D Thank you again, Clementine!!
> 
> Alright, onto the chapter now. Chapter title and reference from the song _Hotel California_ , so credit does not belong to me.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy, and see you next Sunday!

“Stark,” Yinsen said from across their cell/workshop, his voice low but firm and clear. There was a seriousness to his tone that instantly had Tony’s heart rate skyrocketing.

Tony barely managed to set the tools he was holding down on the table without outright dropping them before turning to see what had the doctor sounding so grave. “Is everything okay?” he asked as he approached the cot — _his_ cot — Penny was laying on, probably asleep again.

Suddenly, he realized he hadn’t slept since Penny had been brought in. Not that he’d ever slept much in the cave to begin with.

Yinsen stood up from his spot on the ground and covered the kid with a blanket before leading Tony over to the boxes they used as chairs beside the cooking fire. His lips were pursed and the tension in his shoulders said that no, everything was _not_ okay. “As far as I can tell, there is very little damage. She is lucky. Bruised ribs, sprained elbow... some slight tearing, but nothing that needs stitches, thankfully. My biggest concern is the severe malnutrition — there is no way of knowing how long she has been here, but given the level of emaciation, it is likely that she has essentially been starved for weeks, perhaps months,” Yinsen said, voice cold and clinical.

Not that it did much to lessen the impact his words left on Tony’s chest. The arc reactor made it hard enough to breathe. Worrying about Penny made it practically impossible.

Distantly, he wondered how he’d gotten to the point where he was worrying about a small child he’d had two conversations with to the point of near panic.

“Nothing about that sounds lucky to me,” Tony deadpanned.

Yinsen ignored him and plowed forward. “There’s still a chance of infection, so we’ll need to look out for signs that the pain has gotten worse. We do not have much in the way of medical supplies, and nothing to manage the pain, so let us hope cleaning them will be enough. She has been eating well so far — not too quickly or too much, which gives me hope that if we are consistent about feeding her, she will heal faster.”

“Assuming, of course, that our _hosts_ don’t come back and take her away again,” Tony countered, unable to keep the bitterness and hate from his tone.

“True,” Yinsen replied with a nod. “But you will not let that happen.” He sounded far too confident for Tony’s comfort.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m kinda powerless here,” he snapped, irritated because it wasn’t that he _wanted_ to let Penny go back with those monsters, just that there was a very small chance he’d be able to stop them if they did.

Yinsen’s expression was annoyingly bland. “You have more than you think, Mr. Stark. It is in the Ten Rings’ best interest to keep you comfortable and healthy enough to complete their missile. If they return for her and you resist, then they will either leave her, or take her and torture you again. Which takes time and risks injuring you to the point that you cannot work or worse, killing you outright. I have warned them that your heart is too weak and too much strain could send you into cardiac arrest... and they do not have the equipment or medicine to bring you back from that.”

Tony’s eyes widened in shock. He’d thought a lot about the potential repercussions of being operated on in a damp cave with no anesthesia and having a magnet inserted in his chest, but the strain it must have put on his heart was not one of them. “Oh,” he replied, for lack of anything better to say.

Out of the corner of his eye, there was movement, and Tony looked over to see Penny sitting up, eyes wide open and glazed over, staring off into space. “Penny?” he asked, half-whispering. When she didn’t respond, he stood up and slowly approached, automatically crouching down as he got closer. Unlike in the past, however, she didn’t so much as blink or look in his direction. She didn’t flinch or act as though she’d seen or heard him at all.

Which was more than a little worrying.

“Penny?” he asked again once he was on one knee in front of her. Still, she didn’t respond or make eye contact, despite his best efforts. “Penny!” he called a little louder, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. “Kid, can you hear me?”

“I don’t think she can,” Yinsen said in a somber voice. Tony looked over his shoulder to see that the doctor hadn’t moved from his spot, except to pinch the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

“What’s happening to her?” Tony demanded, feeling a chill down his spine. Then, it quickly turned to a flash of anger. “What did you do?”

Yinsen’s head snapped up at that, and his eyes narrowed at Tony. “I did exactly what I said I would do, Mr. Stark. However, about halfway through my examination, she shut down. No resistance, no reaction. Just staring like that. I’m no psychologist, but if I had to guess, I would say she is dissociating. Her consciousness has drifted away in order to escape the pain her mind has been conditioned to expect at this point. When she is herself again, she will likely have no memory of what happened.”

_You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave._

The lyrics came to him unbidden, words he’d sung a thousand times in his workshop, but had never bothered to interpret.

Physically, Penny couldn’t escape, but if her mind could… “Her mind’s protecting itself,” Tony concluded. “If she can’t remember the worst of it, then it’s easier to deal with… to keep going.”

Yinsen nodded. “It is not an uncommon reaction from children who are victims of chronic sexual abuse.”

“So… it’s not a _bad_ thing, right?” he asked, even though he knew, looking in Penny’s eyes, that it wasn’t a good thing either.

“Short term? Yes,” the doctor replied. “Long term? No. But that is not what is important. The important thing is _why_ it happened.”

A wave of grief and guilt hit, and Tony suddenly understood Yinsen’s unusually stand-offish behavior. “You— examining her must’ve reminded her… she thought you were…” he trailed off, unable to finish. Not that he needed to. Yinsen already knew. If knowing made Tony want to rage and scream and destroy, he imagined Yinsen felt worse.

“Yes,” he spat. “Her mind shut down because she was afraid. She did not feel _safe_. And what, exactly, did you tell her she was before you ran off like a coward?”

Tony’s breath caught in his throat, a swirl of emotions and thoughts churning in his mind too quickly for him to process. “What?” he managed to croak after a minute of struggling to reclaim control of his tongue.

Yinsen stayed perfectly still, barely blinking through the glare aimed in Tony’s direction. “Penny _trusted_ you. Much more than she trusted me.” Tony winced at his use of the past tense, a clear reminder that Penny might not trust either of them once she was herself again. “ _You_ convinced her to let me examine her despite her reservations — which was the right thing to do — but then you ran away.”

“I thought I was making her uncomfortable,” Tony protested weakly, knowing full well that it was a poor excuse. “She’s had her privacy invaded enough, don’t you think?”

“I can assure you she cared more for comfort than privacy,” Yinsen said in a dark tone. “It did not matter what I said or how gentle I was, I could not provide the comfort she needed, not when I was the reason she needed it in the first place. _You_ were supposed to provide that comfort, Mr. Stark. Did you not see how much trust she was putting in you by agreeing to being examined? She did not believe that she was safe simply because you _said_ so. She believed she was safe because she thought you would _ensure_ it with your presence. To her, I have no reason to treat her kindly on my own. But I saved your life, and therefore am trustworthy… around you.”

Tony shook his head, meeting Yinsen’s eyes and hoping he’d understand. “I’m no good at comforting anyone, much less kids,” he murmured. “And I couldn’t see… I couldn’t trust myself to keep a cool head if I saw… I would’ve freaked and made things worse, Yinsen. That’s what I do. I build things meant to destroy, to kill. Good intentions got me here,” he said, gesturing around the cave. “Trying to help her would’ve only ended in more pain, not less. There’s no guarantee I would’ve stopped _that_ from happening.” He pointed to the still dissociating Penny. “But if I had, it probably wouldn’t have been for the better!”

Yinsen didn’t hesitate to respond. “She is a _child_ , not a weapon. You are not building or destroying anything but hope for a little girl who needs it more than anything else in this world right now, even if it is false.”

“I’m a realist. I don’t give false hope,” Tony snapped. “I promised her we’d get her out of here and we _will_.”

“Not hope in an escape. Hope in safety,” Yinsen explained, his tone finally softening. “You promised to escape with her, which makes _you_ responsible for her safety, and she’s trusted you with that. You no longer have the option to run away. That is not what parents do.”

This time, when Tony’s breath caught, he actually wheezed, then started coughing so hard his eyes began to water. “I am _not_ a parent. Not to this kid, not to _any_ kid,” he said when he could finally respond.

A wry smile slowly formed on Yinsen’s lips. “For the time being, that is exactly what you are to her. It may be a different story once you are both free, but right here, right now? You are the closest thing to a parent she has and I will _not_ let you ruin her best chance of escaping this nightmare before her spirit is completely destroyed.”

Tony sat back on his heels and cursed, running a hand through his greasy hair while trying to figure out how things had progressed the way they had. They’d hardly known her for a _day_ , only an hour — maybe two — of which she was actually awake and able to communicate, and suddenly Yinsen was calling him her _parent_? Had he _completely_ lost his mind?

He turned back to look at the kid, who was still staring off in the distance, completely oblivious to the conversation taking place about her. Her blank stare, unnerving as it was, also made her look older than she was. Like an adult. It just looked _wrong_ on her young features. His gaze drifted down and he realized that she was wearing the hoodie and hat that he’d discarded not long after the forge had warmed up — he hadn’t even noticed Yinsen take them from where they’d been piled off to the side of the table Tony had been working at. A pair of black oversized dress socks — likely Yinsen’s — that probably would’ve reached her knees had they not been carefully rolled over a few times so that they wouldn’t slip off, were covering her feet and legs up to about halfway down her calves.

She was practically drowning in the fabric, which only made her look smaller, but at least she seemed to be warmer than before, so Tony wasn’t going to complain in the slightest about losing a few items of clothing. His jacket was heavy enough that he’d be somewhat warm without a blanket if he slept in it and kept his boots on. At least he’d be better at retaining body heat than she would.

With a sigh, he shifted so that he was leaning against the wall beside the cot, where he could keep a close eye on Penny. He didn’t know if it was watching a six-year-old’s thousand-yard stare or his own exhaustion catching up with him, but Tony suddenly felt like he was being weighed down, being held in place but not to the point of needing to panic. In fact, with his eyes on Penny, he felt considerably _less_ afraid than he did the majority of the time he’d been in the cave. Knowing that Penny was safe — physically at least — didn’t remove the weight but made it a little easier to bear.

He resolved to apologize once her mind came back to Earth. Yinsen was right. He shouldn’t have left without at least asking if Penny wanted him to stay. Tony had done what he’d always done, thought about himself and his needs first, rather than those of a helpless, traumatized six-year-old who’d been looking to him for help and reassurance.

Tony wasn’t a parent. Nor had he any intention to be. He lived a lifestyle that wasn’t healthy for _him_ , much less a child. He wasn’t responsible enough to care for another human being — one who was entirely dependent on _him_. He wasn’t ready... maybe he’d never be ready to take that step. Tony’s greatest fear was turning into his father, and one look around the cave told him he might just be worse.

His blood turned to ice at the thought. No, he couldn’t be a father, not to Penny. He would damage her faster than Howard had damaged him, and that was the last thing the kid needed after everything she’d already been through. Parenthood just wasn’t in the cards for Tony Stark.

And yet... a teeny, tiny part of his mind was willing to admit that he’d always wanted kids. A family. Especially after he lost his own — flawed as they were, he’d still loved his parents when they died. Jarvis and Ana, too.

Obie and Rhodey were the only family he had left, but the former rarely seemed to care about him unless he wanted something, while the latter was too busy more often than not to be the same big brother that he’d been for Tony at MIT.

Pepper and Happy certainly had the _potential_ to be family, but they also happened to be on his payroll, so sometimes it was hard to tell if they actually cared about him or the paycheck he gave them. If he was being totally honest, the only family he could count on to be there day in and day out was the family he built: J.A.R.V.I.S. and the bots (one of these days he’d convince them to start a band. With a name like that, they’d go places). They _were_ his kids, really. He loved them in a way that could only be described as parental... was proud of them in all the ways Tony had craved from Howard.

But as much as he loved them, his AIs were self-learning in a way human children weren’t. They were close to sentience, but not quite. Because no matter how good of a programmer he was, no matter how much they learned, they’d never reach the same level of emotional complexity as humans. He had no doubt that they _could_ feel (not that anyone else would know, and even if they did, they probably wouldn’t agree), just not to the same depth and complexity that even infants could experience. Emotions were instinctual, but his AIs had to learn them through observation before being capable of experiencing them for themselves.

His own emotional development hadn’t been stunted thanks to his mother and Jarvis’ efforts in his early years and Rhodey’s influence as a teenager. Tony understood emotion, experienced them more deeply than most — according to those closest to him. But what had been teenage rebellion before his parents’ death became the mask he hid his pain behind in the aftermath.

His father had taught him why a mask was necessary. His mother had taught him when to plaster it on. Jarvis taught him when it was safe to peel it off. Obie helped him sculpt it to perfection.

And Rhodey? Well, Rhodey taught him that for some people a mask wasn’t enough and that the best ones hated the mask, but not the man.

To what extent Howard’s behavior towards Tony was a mask or simply his true colors was hard to determine. Either way, Tony was smart enough to know that his mask wasn’t parent material, and even though his true self secretly _wanted_ to be a parent didn’t mean he _should_ be one.

But he _was_ responsible for Penny — he’d already decided that when he promised to get her out of the Ten Rings’ clutches — and that meant he had to care about more than just her physical survival, but her mental one too. She needed help — _his_ help — and it didn’t matter if he had no clue _how_ he was supposed to give it to her, he would do whatever she needed him to. She deserved that much. No, she deserved _more_ , but besides Yinsen, there was no one else, so whatever Tony did would have to be good enough.

At least until he could get her into more qualified hands.

Something was draped over Tony’s torso, and he looked up, blinking a few times before he realized that it was Yinsen. “Sleep, Mr. Stark,” the man said in a low, gentle voice. “I will watch Penny and wake you if there are any problems.”

Tony realized he’d been drifting off but was too tired to fight it. “‘M not a parent,” he muttered, then sighed heavily. “You really think she needs me?” he asked, sounding far more vulnerable than he’d intended.

“Yes, I do,” Yinsen replied firmly. “And you need her. Perhaps more than you realize.”

Tony tried to respond, but his eyes and lips were too heavy, so he simply let the darkness come.

**~*~**

Yinsen sighed as Stark finally drifted off, forcing down the lingering guilt he felt from their conversation. Shaking his head, he moved to gently guide Penny so that she was laying down for the third time — she kept sitting up for some reason — hoping that she would fall asleep eventually.

He moved over to his own cot but didn’t lay down. Instead, he sat so that he could watch over his two companions while they slept, silently praying that they would both be spared from nightmares for once. A second prayer followed, begging the universe for the two to escape and live in peace one day soon.

Yinsen knew he wouldn’t survive — that he would die so they could be free. A tiny sliver of himself had hoped otherwise when it had just been Stark — no matter how much Yinsen missed his family — if only because he knew that his death would only add more to the guilt that was already threatening to drown the man who had everything and nothing. But from the moment Stark mentioned modifying their escape plans to include Penny, Yinsen knew he would give his life to save both of theirs. He didn’t know how it would end, but as long as they escaped it didn’t matter.

The only thing left to do was to make sure that Stark and Penny had enough of a bond to rely on each other once Yinsen was gone.

Yinsen’s instinct said that Penny had no one waiting for her — no home to return to, and if Yinsen couldn’t be there to help her afterwards, then Stark absolutely _could not_ drop her the moment he was home and safe again. He could see the trust in the girl’s eyes when she looked at Stark and knew that it was not trust extended easily based on the tiny, begrudging trust she’d granted Yinsen on Stark’s word.

Trust that had likely evaporated the moment his examination shifted from asking questions to actually looking at her injuries.

Stark might have been oblivious to the pleading looks she’d sent his way, begging him for help and comfort, but Yinsen had not. He’d tried to reassure her, to comfort her as best he could, but she had not trusted him and — as the examination went on — Yinsen had to force himself to maintain a degree of cold professionalism. If he hadn’t, he would have lost his composure because of what he had seen.

He had enough experience and knew enough about the human body to make an educated guess as to what caused Penny’s injuries in more detail than Stark probably could. It took concentrated effort to focus on observing and treating where he could rather than imagine what situations Penny had been in that had led to her injuries.

Still, there had been moments where it had been all too easy to imagine Penny — and then Yinsen’s own daughter, only a mere year older than Penny when he’d lost her — pinned in place by a rough hand clamped around her tiny forearms, leaving finger sized bruises behind. Every bruise, every cut, every whimper, every sniffle had Yinsen’s mind fighting to stay in the moment rather than getting lost in the horrible images his mind had conjured of Penny — of his own daughter — in pain and begging for help from men who only took pleasure in it.

By the time he’d realized Penny had begun dissociating, Yinsen had almost wanted to cry in relief.

It was a horrible thought, he knew, but he would be lying if he were to say that it hadn’t made things easier. It broke his heart to know that her subconscious believed that he was as dangerous as the monsters who’d hurt her, but at least it meant he wasn’t prolonging her pain. He’d kept up the mindless, reassuring monologue he’d somehow maintained despite his internal struggles, if only in case a small part of her was listening and paying attention. If there was, he’d wanted that part to be aware that he really wasn’t going to hurt her like she had been in the past.

But otherwise, he’d forced his mind to be as clinical as possible and he knew that somehow, Penny had been able to sense his increasing distance for his own sanity but not hers. And there was no recovering from that. Even if she did trust him in the future (which he doubted), he would never be for her what Stark had already become.

She would be able to trust Stark again, Yinsen was sure. She’d trusted him so easily once before, and he hadn’t done anything unforgivable. Children, Yinsen knew, were forgiving by nature, even the most traumatized ones who had every right not to be.

The only thing left to do was to make sure that Stark never gave Penny a reason not to trust him again. She needed him and would continue to need him, even if he wasn’t ready for it. Perhaps it was too early for Yinsen to throw out the term ‘parent’ in reference to Stark, but he hadn’t been lying when he’d said Stark was the closest thing she had to one for the time being.

Nor had he been lying when he’d sworn not to let Stark ruin Penny’s spirit before they could escape. Stark had given the girl hope, had coaxed her out of whatever tiny corner of her mind she’d hid in to survive as long as she had, had made promises and made her _feel_ something besides pain and misery for the first time in only Penny knew how long. In doing so, he’d revealed a side to the little girl Yinsen could tell was barely hanging on by a thread. A side she’d promptly placed in the genius’ hands and hoped he would care for it rather than crush it the way he all too easily could.

If that piece could survive intact until they escaped, then there was still hope that Penny wouldn’t lose the part of her that was still a child. The part that _deserved_ to be a child, to grow and learn the way that children should. There was still hope that what Penny had experienced wouldn’t irreversibly take over her entire life to the point that her trauma became her identity rather than her past.

Of course, there was no telling what the future held. He could not predict what was to come, for him or for Stark and Penny, but Yinsen knew that the only way he could be at peace when he saw his family again was if he also knew that Penny and Stark could find the same peace in life rather than death.

Stark was a man who had everything and nothing. Penny was a girl who had nothing and everything.

Together, they could have something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Yinsen's POV here. As of right now, this might be the only time we're hearing from his POV, but I try to never say never. Next chapter is from Penny's!!
> 
> I know, I _know_ that _Hotel California_ isn’t actually about a psychiatric facility (like many claim it is), but as I was writing this that line kept popping up in my head and just wouldn’t go away. It seemed like the kind of thing that would come to mind for Tony when approaching the topic of dissociation. Plus, it’s exactly the kind of sentiment I was going for when explaining why Penny dissociates, so I just kinda went with it. 
> 
> Also, I am neither a physician nor a psychologist, so any technical inaccuracies are because the internet gave me bad answers to my (admittedly disturbing) google searches. Given that this story is focused on the emotional and psychological impact of trauma on both Penny and Tony, their physical injuries won’t be as significant as they _could_ be. As a result, some of the physical repercussions will probably seem glossed over in favor of the toll it takes on the mind.
> 
> ALSO also, unreliable narrators galore folks. Tony _absolutely_ believes that he’s bad with and for children, despite the interactions he’s already had with Penny proving otherwise. He’s got self-esteem issues (shocking, I know) and therefore will make assumptions about things that an outside observer wouldn’t agree with. And he’s not alone — Yinsen’s assumptions about what Penny thinks of him don’t necessarily line up with the truth — he’s projecting a little. Penny’s going to be just as unreliable, so never take a character’s thoughts or observations of another character as absolute truths. They absolutely misinterpret each other from time to time.
> 
> ——  
>  _Questions? Comments? Concerns? Review to talk to a customer service representative now!_


	5. Imaginations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that she’d met Mr. Stark, she knew her daddy had been right. He was smart, and not just because he could invent all sorts of amazing things (Penny wasn’t sure the inventor actually realized just how _special_ the bots he’d told her about were). She could tell he was smart because he could just _look_ at her and seemed to know what she was thinking or trying to say. He just knew how to make her feel comfortable — how to show her that he wasn’t like _them_ — that he wasn’t scary or dangerous, and that made him easy to trust.
> 
> Which was also why she knew he had heart, too. He didn’t _have_ to do all those things, but he did because he cared, even if _he_ was kind of scared too. That _also_ made her daddy right about him needing some courage, because even Penny knew that without courage, a brain and a heart were pretty useless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for Penny’s POV folks! Writing from a six-year-old’s POV was fun — I used to be nanny and tried to channel the kiddos while working on this, so hopefully it comes across!  
> While there will _not_ be any kind of description of the abuse Penny has suffered in this chapter, it is alluded to (in the way a six-year-old might), as well as a description of dissociation… again, from a kid’s POV, so her understanding of what’s actually happening is pretty limited. 
> 
> Now, I have _zero_ experience with dissociation, so if what Penny describes isn’t quite accurate… well, there’s a reason for that (and it’s not just because I got my info from the internet). I won’t go into it here, but much, _much_ later we’ll find out a little more about what exactly is going on with Penny’s coping mechanisms. Just know that it’s a little more complicated than just dissociation.

For once, Penny woke up slowly and not due to a bad dream. Except it wasn’t like waking up from sleep. Instead, it was more like coming back to her body. Her senses picked up on things that filtered into her consciousness and worked to pull her back into the real world.

It was sounds that she became aware of first; she recognized the crackling of the ancient, half-broken stovetop and something sizzling in a pan. The accompanying smells quickly confirmed the two, and for a moment Penny thought she was home, and that the voices she heard were her aunt and uncle in the kitchen, arguing over whether the sausages needed to be flipped or rolled and whether or not May’s pancakes could be classified as ‘golden’ or ‘charred’.

Then Penny realized that the crackling wasn’t a stovetop but a fire, and she wasn’t smelling pancakes and sausages but beans. The two voices weren’t May and Ben’s, muffled through the door of her bedroom, but two men and whispering calmly and solemnly rather than the loud bickering she’d been expecting.

Grief hit a half a second after her memories returned, and Penny had to fight back the almost paralyzing pain she felt whenever she remembered her family lately. She missed them so much it _hurt_ somewhere deep in her soul, as Aunt May would say. She wished they were still alive, that she was still with them, where her parents and her aunt and uncle could scoop her up and hold her tight and shower her in kisses and whisper in her ear that they loved her and that she was safe and they would protect her from the Bad Men who’d hurt her over and over again and would keep hurting her until… well, she didn’t know what, but she was scared to think about it.

So she tried not to. Or to think about her family either. It was easier that way.

Instead, she pretended she was somewhere else. Usually in a galaxy far, far away, a long, long time ago. Sometimes she imagined she was a Jedi like Luke Skywalker, or a “lovable rogue” like Aunt May said Han Solo was. But most of the time she imagined she was a princess as cool as Leia; with beautiful hairstyles and outfits and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or punch bad guys. She could even shoot a blaster and wasn’t afraid of anything!

On the days she felt strong, Penny pretended that she was as strong and smart as Princess Leia and tried to imagine what she would have done to escape if Han and Luke hadn’t rescued her first.

Other days, Penny wished with every cell in her body that they would come and rescue her too. Or someone like them.

At this point, Penny would take being tossed in a garbage chute and nearly getting crushed if it meant the Bad Men would stop hurting her.

Sometimes, when she was imagining living in the _Star Wars_ galaxy, it felt _so real_. Realer than real life, even. It scared her when that happened, ‘cause sometimes she’d get hurt in her imaginary stories and when she woke up it still hurt and she couldn’t remember how she got hurt in the first place. Until she realized it hurt in her imaginations because it hurt in real life, not the other way around.

She knew they weren’t dreams though. Mostly because her dreams were never good. They were always bad and scary and when she woke up she could barely remember anything about them except that they were bad and scary. But when she thought about her _Star Wars_ imaginations later, they were easier to remember. They were fuzzy, and she couldn’t always remember every detail, but they felt like real memories instead of dreams.

At the same time, she also knew her imaginations weren’t _real_ either. Sometimes they _felt_ real, but somewhere in the back of her mind she always knew it was just a story she let herself get lost in because what was happening in real life was bad and there was nothing she could do about it, so it was easier to pretend instead.

When the Bad Stuff started happening, she imagined on purpose at first, so she wouldn’t have to think about it _._ About how much it _hurt_ and scared her and how she wanted to _get away_ but she wasn’t strong enough and no one would help her no matter how hard she fought (but not screamed. Never screamed. Screaming was bad). Instead _they_ laughed and said things she didn’t understand but knew were mean because they made her feel icky.

Eventually she stopped fighting and just focused on her imaginations. She pretended she couldn’t see or hear or feel anything but what she imagined until it worked.

Then it got easier to get lost in her imagination when the Bad Stuff happened. It got so easy that one day she started imagining when she didn’t _mean_ to. She’d had a dream about the Bad Stuff and when she woke up she tried to remember why she was so scared, and when she did, she was suddenly imagining that Chewbacca had scooped her up and let her bury her fingers into his soft fur and cry until it didn’t hurt so much anymore.

It worried her because her imagination didn’t used to be like that before… _before_. And no matter how good or happy her imaginations were, they didn’t seem… normal. She was afraid to ask about it in her imaginations in case they went away, and there was no one to help her with it in real life, so it was just something else she tried not to think too hard about.

True awareness — meaning she could actually see what she was hearing, smelling and touching, not whatever she was imagining (in this case, it was Chewbacca and Princess Leia on the _Millennium Falcon_ talking about… something. She couldn’t quite remember anymore) — came back when she heard her name from one of the voices whispering nearby.

It was strange, hearing her name, because the Bad Men didn’t call her by her name. Instead she was called several things in a language — or maybe more than one — that she didn’t understand. All she knew was that she had to respond to certain words or _they_ would hurt her. Sometimes she wished she knew what they meant. Other times, based on the things she had to do when _they_ said certain words, she wasn’t so sure.

“…Penny come back? She’s been out of it a long time. Maybe we should talk to her or something,” Mr. Stark was saying from where he was stirring the beans in the tiny pot sitting over the fire.

Penny blinked a few times as she tried to figure out what was going on. She looked down to see that she was still sitting on the bed she had been on before, when Mr. Yinsen was… She shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Mr. Stark said that Mr. Yinsen wouldn’t hurt her, and he hadn’t — not like _them_ — but it had still been scary and reminded her of _them_ , so she’d started imagining instead. She hadn’t meant to, but there was nothing to distract her… to remind her that Mr. Yinsen wasn’t bad, even if he was being nice and gentle, so her imagination took over, just to be safe.

She’d have to say sorry to Mr. Yinsen. Penny’s mommy had said it was rude to imagine when you were supposed to be paying attention to someone else. She figured it was okay when the Bad Men were hurting her, since _they_ were bad. But Mr. Yinsen hadn’t been bad. He’d been trying to help, ‘cause that’s what doctors did. Aunt May was a nurse and she said that sometimes to get better you had to hurt a little. Like getting a shot.

Penny noticed that she _did_ feel a little better than she had before. Her whole body didn’t ache as much and her tummy wasn’t rumbling like it had been. She was a little sleepy, but she was always sleepy lately. Some things still hurt, but not as much as they did, so she figured Mr. Yinsen had done what he’d promised he would do and tried to make her a little better than before.

She wasn’t as cold, either, which was when she noticed she was wearing a pair of socks and a sweater. They were obviously meant for grown ups, but Penny wasn’t gonna say anything because it was much more comfortable than before. Even her ears felt warmer, and a hand to the side of her head explained it — she had a hat, which was almost better than the socks. More than once she was afraid one of her ears or toes would fall off because it was so cold in the cave at night.

She’d always thought that the desert was hot all of the time. Now, she knew it got cold too, and she didn’t like it one bit.

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Stark,” Mr. Yinsen’s voice said, and Penny couldn’t stop the way she jumped and looked around because she couldn’t see where the voice was coming from at first. It took a second, but eventually her eyes landed on Mr. Yinsen over by the equipment on the other side of the room, looking at her with a soft smile that made him seem less scary.

She tried to smile back, but she wasn’t sure if she succeeded.

“Penny!” Mr. Stark said excitedly, looking really, truly happy to see her, even if she’d technically never left. “You checked out there for a long time, kiddo. Had us pretty worried. You alright?” he asked, making his voice light and cheerful the way grown-ups did when they were pretending to be calm but weren’t.

Penny didn’t know how to tell him about her imaginations without her voice, so she simply nodded. Then she froze, realizing that they must have noticed she wasn’t sleeping like she’d thought she seemed to be during her imaginations. That meant she did something else but had no way of knowing what. So she shook her head, putting on a confused look and tilting her head to the side, gesturing with her hands in a way that she hoped he would understand as her asking, “ _What happened?_ ”

Not for the first time, she wished she could talk. She didn’t quite know why her voice hadn’t worked when she’d tried to talk to Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen before, but she thought it had something to do with the fact that she hadn’t talked at all for… a long time. She could barely remember the last time she had talked or even screamed. She _wanted_ to, but it also scared her. What if the Bad Men heard her and hurt her for talking again? She knew it annoyed _them_ and it made her wonder if her talking had always annoyed people. Maybe people she used to know hadn’t hurt her like the Bad Men did, but _they_ didn’t speak English. Maybe _they_ didn’t know how else to tell her to quiet down the way Penny’s parents, aunt and uncle used to.

Of course, it was the _first_ Bad Man — her foster father Skip — who hit her for talking too much. He’d told her that her voice was annoying and no one liked hearing her talk about stuff they didn’t care about. He was the one who taught her that children should be seen, not heard. And when he gave her to another man — the one who cut her hair so short that she looked like a boy and took her on an airplane with another girl and left them with even more Bad Men — Skip told her she’d live longer if she stayed quiet.

He’d been right. She was passed from one man to another — sometimes with other girls like her, sometimes she was all alone — and every single one of them would remind her to be quiet and hurt her if she accidentally used her voice. She tried _so hard_ to stay quiet, but sometimes she slipped up and would cry or whine when everything hurt too much.

What if Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen were the same way? What if they didn’t like her voice either? They had been nice so far — hadn’t gotten angry when she’d slipped up and laughed at Mr. Stark’s story — but that didn’t mean they _wanted_ her to talk. The more she thought about it… the more the very thought of using her voice made her feel icky inside… made her want to cover her mouth and hold the words back because talking was bad. Talking meant hurting. Penny Parker didn’t get to talk like everyone else. Like she used to.

Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen looked at each other like they were having a silent conversation before Mr. Stark sighed and started speaking while he poured the beans into three bowls. “While Yinsen was looking you over, you just kinda… checked out. You were here, but you weren’t really _here_ , does that make sense?”

She nodded instantly, because that’s exactly what happened. It was like her brain followed her imagination to the other galaxy that was just pretend in real life, but was real when she ‘checked out’ when things got too scary or dangerous.

Both men seemed surprised by how quickly she responded, but they didn’t say anything about it. “Well,” Mr. Stark continued. “You just kinda… stared into space the whole time. We got a little worried when we thought you weren’t blinking, but turns out you were, just really slowly. Other than that, you just… sat there. We tried to get you to lay down a couple of times, but you’d sit up after a few minutes for some reason.”

As soon as he said the words ‘lay down’ Penny felt a flash of fear and started shaking her head frantically. She didn’t want to lay down. Laying down was bad. Very, very bad. When she laid down when she slept, she _always_ had bad dreams.

“No? Why are you saying no?” Mr. Stark asked in alarm.

Penny bit her lip, then held out a hand, wanting to write on his palm so he could understand. He’d seen her wake up from the bad dreams, so if he knew, maybe he could stop her from falling over next time she fell asleep.

Thankfully, he understood the gesture, and quickly handed Mr. Yinsen his bowl while bringing the other two over to the bed. It took a concentrated effort to stay still when he got close, but she forced herself to because she just _knew_ , somehow, that Mr. Stark wasn’t going to hurt her. He’d said so, but even before then she knew he wasn’t like _them_. Her parents had known Mr. Stark before they died — she knew her daddy had worked at Stark Industries for a little while, but then he switched jobs after he met Penny’s mommy so he could work with her at Oscorp.

Her daddy had liked working with Mr. Stark, though — even if it was only for a year or so — and told her once that Tony Stark was one of the smartest men to ever live, just like Howard Stark had been, but what made him different was that he had more heart. When Penny’s mommy called Mr. Stark a ‘spoiled rich party boy’, her daddy said that he was young and lost and that one day he’d meet the Wizard of Oz and get some courage to show his heart along with his brains.

Penny told her daddy that no one could be the Tin Man, the Scarecrow _and_ the Cowardly Lion at the same time, but he’d said that if anyone could, it would be Tony Stark.

Now that she’d met Mr. Stark, she knew her daddy had been right. He was smart, and not just because he could invent all sorts of amazing things (Penny wasn’t sure the inventor actually realized just how _special_ the bots he’d told her about were). She could tell he was smart because he could just _look_ at her and seemed to know what she was thinking or trying to say. He just knew how to make her feel comfortable — how to show her that he wasn’t like _them_ — that he wasn’t scary or dangerous, and that made him easy to trust.

Which was also why she knew he had heart, too. He didn’t _have_ to do all those things, but he did because he cared, even if _he_ was kind of scared too. That _also_ made her daddy right about him needing some courage, because even Penny knew that **without courage, a brain and a heart were pretty useless.**

So even though her body wanted to pull away, she stayed still and took the bowl of beans Mr. Stark offered and carefully set it on the bed beside her. Then she waited until he was sitting on the ground in front of her (because again, he just _knew_ how to make her feel more comfortable), then took his opened hand and began to spell.

N-O. L-A-Y. D-O-W-N. N-I-T-E-M-A-R-S.

Penny wasn’t sure if she spelled the last word right, but spelling had been her worst subject in kindergarten. She could read all sorts of big, tricky words and understand what they meant, but she couldn’t spell her own name right half of the time, much to her family’s frustration and amusement. She knew there was something weird about her writing too, but one day she got tested by a special teacher, who said that nothing was wrong and that she’d probably grow out of whatever it was eventually.

Mr. Stark’s eyes widened, once again catching on without her having to explain much. “You get nightmares ‘cause it reminds you of… _them_?” The way he said the last word would have scared Penny if she didn’t know that his anger wasn’t directed at her. Instead, he was glaring at the door, as if he could hurt them with his eyes.

She nodded, and at the same time, curled one hand into a fist and raised it up and down with her wrist, like she was knocking on a table instead of a door. Or just mimicking nodding her head. Aunt May and Uncle Ben’s neighbor, Mrs. Lin, was deaf, so they had all picked up a few signs here and there thanks to Mrs. Lin’s daughter, Ms. Cindy, who lived with her.

Penny, of course, had always been fascinated by sign language, so she’d always ask Ms. Cindy to show her a new sign every time they met in the elevator or while doing laundry in the basement. She could sign the alphabet, introduce herself and talk about the weather or pretty much anything neighbors in an apartment building could talk about — which was how she learned the sign for ‘safe’ after the Rodriguez family’s apartment was broken into and it was all anyone in the building could talk about for weeks.

All in all, it wasn’t much, but Penny knew enough that even if she only taught Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen the alphabet, it could make things easier.

Mr. Stark glanced at her hand as she signed, but it didn’t take more than that for him to understand. “Alright,” he said with a nod of his own. “If it makes you feel better sleeping sitting up, then do that. Any kinda sleep is better than no sleep, if you ask me.”

Penny wasn’t sure if she agreed with that, so she just shrugged, satisfied that Mr. Stark wasn’t going to try to make her sleep laying down. She focused on her food, not really tasting it, but not really caring either. She’d been lucky if _they_ gave her food once a day, so she would take what she could get. She knew to eat slowly, so as not to upset her tummy, because the last thing she wanted was to throw it all up.

One of the older girls Penny had been kept with before the cave taught her that.

Mr. Yinsen and Mr. Stark both started to eat as well, and Penny tried to ignore the worried looks they kept giving her when they thought she wasn’t looking. It didn’t annoy her — in fact it was nice, knowing that they cared. It had been so long since anyone cared about what happened to Penny that she’d forgotten what it felt like to not be alone. It did, however, make her feel self-conscious. She wondered what they were seeing that made them so worried, and whether or not _she_ needed to worry about it too.

Finally, Mr. Yinsen spoke, though he didn’t look at her as he did. “How are you feeling, Penny?”

She considered the question for a moment, then wrinkled her nose and waved her hand in a ‘so-so’ movement, then shrugged.

Mr. Yinsen nodded, but his lips were pulled tight in a way that said he was unhappy. “Is the pain better or worse than yesterday? I could not do much to treat your injuries, I’m afraid.”

Penny gave him a thumbs up, to show that she was feeling better, then shrugged again. After a moment, she took a fist, held it to her chest and rubbed it in a circle, mouthing the word she was trying to say. Then she held her fist up, thumb in front of her fingers instead of the side — the sign for the letter S.

She formed a circle with her fingers next — O — then crossed her first two fingers and held them straight up — R — then moved the sign to the right, which meant the letter happened twice in the word being spelled (she knew this because of the two Ns in Penny), then finally reformed a fist, but stuck her thumb and pinky finger out to the sides — Y.

Both Mr. Yinsen and Mr. Stark were watching her carefully, both concentrated, but also looking a little amazed, which made Penny kinda proud. Lots of grown-ups didn’t like it when kids knew things they didn’t, but Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen didn’t seem to care at all.

“You’re spelling something,” Mr. Stark said when she finished, and she grinned when he held out his hand. “Okay, you’re gonna have to help me out a little, half-pint.”

She signed each letter, then wrote it into Mr. Stark’s hand, which he would say out loud for Mr. Yinsen (she didn’t quite know how to explain the double-letter thing, so she just signed R twice). At the end, she repeated the sign for ‘sorry’ — fist drawing a circle against her chest.

When she confirmed that they’d understood correctly, both men seemed pleased until they realized exactly what she’d said.

“Wait, why are _you_ sorry, kid?” Mr. Stark asked, puzzled.

Deciding it would take too long to teach them the signs for every letter in her message, Penny just wrote into his hand instead.

F-O-R. G-O-I-N-G. A-W-A-Y. I-T-S. R-U-D-E. A-C-T-C-I-D-E-N-T.

When she finished, Mr. Stark slumped and turned to Mr. Yinsen. “She’s apologizing for dissociating,” he said, like he couldn’t believe it. “It was unintentional, and apparently it’s also rude.”

Penny didn’t know what dissociating was, but she assumed it was a fancy word for when she ‘checked out’, as Mr. Stark called it. She liked calling it imagining better. It sounded less doctor-y.

Mr. Yinsen’s face fell, and his eyes were sad when they met hers. “There’s nothing to apologize for, little one. _I_ am sorry that I scared you so much that you didn’t feel safe. That’s why you... went away, right?”

Penny nodded, then shrugged and signed the letter O and K, hoping he understood that she didn’t blame him. He was trying to help, and even though Mr. Yinsen still made her kind of nervous (there was something about him that he was hiding — she could tell when he looked at her that sometimes he wasn’t seeing _her_ , and whatever he was seeing made him sad and... uncomfortable. Distant), Mr. Stark trusted him with his life, and that meant a lot.

And she knew that even though Mr. Stark had been scared and left so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, he never would’ve let Mr. Yinsen hurt her. If they had gone into a different room, Penny might not have believed either of them, but she’d been able to see Mr. Stark the whole time and that made her feel safer — even if he hadn’t been looking at her.

Mr. Yinsen sighed, looking like he didn’t think anything was okay. “Penny, if I am doing something that makes you want to go away again, you can tell me to stop and I will. I do not want you to be scared.”

Penny signed _‘O-K’_ again, not quite knowing how else to respond. She wasn’t totally sure if she believed him — not because she thought he wanted to hurt her, but because she didn’t know how she’d be able to tell him to stop.

Once again, Mr. Stark seemed to read her mind when he piped up. “D’you know the sign for stop? Or maybe no? That way, if either of us are doing something that makes you uncomfortable, you can tell us.”

She didn’t actually know the sign for stop, but she _did_ know the sign for no — aside from simply shaking her head. She spelled the two letters in Mr. Stark’s hand, then tapped her first two fingers against her thumb.

“That’s ‘no’?” Mr. Stark asked, continuing when she signed _‘yes’_. “Well, now we know to stop when you sign that. Make sense?” Another _‘yes’_ and Mr. Stark looked satisfied. “Alright. Here’s the deal, kiddo: the guys who brought you in? They want me to build something for them, so Yinsen and I gotta get back to work. You gonna be okay over here, or — if you promise to be careful — do you want to come watch?”

“Stark,” Yinsen said in a warning tone.

Mr. Stark looked back at the doctor and held his hands up innocently. “What? It’s not like there’s a whole lot else she can do in here. Might as well show her a few things while I’m at it.” Yinsen looked suspicious, but didn’t protest any further, so Mr. Stark turned back to Penny and smiled. “So, whaddya say, kid?”

Penny’s eyes grew big and she nodded enthusiastically. It didn’t quite matter _what_ Mr. Stark was building. It was just cool she’d get to watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, Penny’s tendency to write backwards is based on what I did as a kid — not that I wrote right to left (I mean, I did THAT for a while, but not very long) so much as I wrote every letter backwards. My parents thought it was hilarious, so they didn’t tell me what the problem was… they had me tested, but nothing was wrong. I worked it out eventually. Well, sort of. I still accidentally write my Zs backwards from time to time. Which is awkward ‘cause… looney _lizzie_. ;)
> 
> I don’t know why, but from the moment I wrote it, I was — and still am — ridiculously proud of the line _“…because even Penny knew that without courage, a brain and a heart were pretty useless.”_
> 
> Also, tomorrow is my birthday and reviews are like presents (I know, I know, I’m as subtle as a brick wall)! German chocolate cake and a working ceiling fan light kit (don’t ask) are also on my wish list, but I’m pretty sure the parental units are already on those. ;)


	6. Little Miss Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony couldn’t remember an instance where his father had ever complimented him, and for the first time he wondered if Howard had tried and simply didn’t feel or ignored the feeling Tony was experiencing with Penny, or never cared enough to say something kind in the first place. Was he heartless or neglectful? He almost wished it was the former, if only because it was easier to forgive. 
> 
> Maybe Howard had been a bad father because he simply didn’t know what he was missing by being a good one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! Sorry for the late update — I’m out of town for a wedding that ended up being cancelled the day before because the bride’s sister-in-law got COVID. It’s been awesome.
> 
> Anyway, slightly shorter chapter this time and ya’ll will probably hate me for the ending, so I’m apologizing in advance. (#sorrynotsorry)
> 
> Hugs, kisses and a million thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! You’re the BEST! Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

Tony got to his feet, resisting the urge to reach out and help the kid as she did the same. She was moving stiffly and the grimace on her face indicated that she was at the very least uncomfortable, but not in as much pain as she had been before. He moved to lead her over to the worktable where the blueprints to the suit were laid out, but before he could take more than a step, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

His gut instinct was to jerk his arm away, but he forced himself to stay still so as not to scare Penny. He looked down to see the little girl watching him shyly as she cautiously slipped her hand into his. Her eyes were wide, clearly afraid of him rejecting her — or worse, lashing out — but the fact that she was reaching out at all said a lot about how brave the kid was. How long had it been since someone had just held her hand (unlike the times where she’d written into his palm — that was more _her_ holding _his_ hand than the other way around)? Kids liked that sort of thing, right?

How long had it been since Penny had had non-violent, non-invasive, physical contact?

Suddenly, Tony was very aware of how long it had been since _he’d_ been touched with any kind of gentleness or kindness. That wasn’t to say that Yinsen wasn’t either of those things, but his touch was more practical — clinical. Firm, sure and steady, but there was a cool quality that could only come from a doctor’s hands.

Tony had always been a very ‘touchy-feely’ kinda kid. But as time went on, he’d learned to be more… _selective_ with touch — platonically, that is — despite how often he found himself craving it. His mother and Jarvis had always been openly affectionate with him, and he could barely remember a conversation with Obie that hadn’t involved a pat on the back or an arm slung around his shoulders. Rhodey was similar, although unlike Obie he didn’t seem to constantly be in motion and preferred sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder with someone.

Something warm spread through his chest as he felt Penny’s tiny, cold, trembling fingers grip his own calloused ones and he smiled. “You good, small fry?”

There was an obvious sigh of relief that escaped the kid and she gripped his hand a little tighter when she nodded. For the first time, Tony truly _felt_ how much trust she had in him and realized that Yinsen had been right. She trusted him, even after he’d left her and Yinsen alone, when she’d needed comfort he’d been too afraid to provide.

He didn’t know what it said about her: was she brave, for still trusting him? Or naive for trusting a celebrity and the false sense of _knowing_ someone thanks to mass media? Or was she just desperate, latching onto the first person to show her kindness in far too long?

Regardless, Tony still felt the weight of her trust settle on his shoulders as he led her to the workbench. _Why_ she trusted him wasn’t as important as what Tony did with that trust.

Penny gasped when he showed her the blueprints to the suit, mouthing _‘wow’_ exaggeratedly as she stood on her tiptoes to get a better look over the tall table. Watching the glimmer of fascination in her eye, Tony resolved to never give Penny a reason _not_ to trust him. Yinsen had been right that the kid still had spirit.

Tony just hated that Yinsen had been right when he said Tony was capable of ruining it.

**~*~**

He showed Penny the blueprints and explained a few things — figuring a six-year-old was only capable of understanding so much of his technobabble — as he worked. Occasionally, his technobabble morphed into a rambling story about one of the many, _many_ accidents that had happened in his workshop over the years. The entire time, Penny watched, eyes wide in fascination, sometimes interrupting with a giggle at a particularly slapstick aspect of a story (which Tony figured was par for the course when it came to a six-year-old’s sense of humor) or — even better — a question spelled out in his hand, then signed to show him the basics. Most of the time she just asked for the definition of a word (surprisingly sophisticated words, although poorly spelled), indicating that she was paying attention and taking at least part of what he was saying.

After a while, Tony turned to grab a screwdriver he’d left further down the table, only to turn back and have to bite back a yelp. Somehow, the kid had managed to scramble up onto the table and was sitting on her knees so she could get a closer look at the blueprints. “Good grief, Curious Georgia,” he gasped. “You trying to give me a heart attack?”

The look she gave him was both apologetic and unimpressed. _‘Sorry,’_ she signed. _‘O-K?’_ she fingerspelled with one hand while tapping the table with the other.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t sit on anything,” he said before turning to Yinsen and shooting him an expression that he hoped conveyed the weird combination of shock and happiness he was feeling. Penny’s actions had to mean that she was feeling more comfortable around them. Either that or her trust and curiosity outweighed her sense of self-preservation.

And honestly? He could relate.

Yinsen just gave him an exasperated smile.

Tony decided to continue his work and just pretend nothing had happened and accepted the screwdriver she handed him. It took him a second to realize that he wouldn’t have let Yinsen do the same thing. Or anyone, for that matter. He wasn’t sure why, but the very _idea_ of being handed something since the Ten Rings had tortured him made him feel ill.

And yet he hadn’t even hesitated with Penny.

Deciding he didn’t want to think about it too much, Tony huffed. “Better watch out, Yinsen. Looks like you’ve got competition. Penny might just be the better assistant,” he said teasingly, grinning when Penny practically beamed. Yinsen, on the other hand, looked like he was refraining from rolling his eyes.

**~*~**

Later, after what Yinsen had declared was dinner, they attempted to teach Penny how to play backgammon ( _why_ the Ten Rings had given a couple of prisoners a board game in the first place was baffling enough, but why they’d chosen _backgammon_ was equally as head-scratching). Given the way Penny’s yawns got progressively wider, they weren’t particularly successful — although it was amusing to watch the kid try to stay awake.

Tony hesitated to encourage her to get some sleep mostly because he wasn’t sure how to do so without spooking her. There was the primary issue of _where_ she would sleep — she could take his cot again, but the terrified look on her face when he mentioned laying down flashed in his mind’s eye and made his heart clench painfully. Then there was the matter if she’d even be able to sleep with two men in the room now that she wasn’t dissociating or on the verge of passing out from exhaustion.

Yinsen interrupted his thoughts with a large yawn of his own that only seemed half-exaggerated. “I am going to try to get some sleep. Try not to blow anything up if you are going to keep working,” he said casually. Without waiting for a response, he got up and practically dove onto his cot in a way that made Penny smile.

Given that Tony didn’t feel particularly tired himself — getting kidnapped hadn’t helped his already poor sleeping habits — he decided to work on the programming for the suit as he tended to do whenever he worked while Yinsen slept. It was quieter, despite the ancient keyboard’s keys clacking worse than a typewriter’s. “I’m gonna keep working,” Tony said carefully, deciding to take a stab in the dark and simply let Penny decide what she wanted to do. “If you wanna stay up, that’s fine, but if you want to get some shut-eye, you can take the other cot. Or anywhere else.” He tacked on the last part when he caught the fearful expression that crossed her face for a brief moment.

She bit her lip before opening her hand and holding it in front of her face so she was looking directly at her palm. Then she moved her hand downward to her chin, closing her fingers and eyes as her chin fell to her chest.

“Sleep?” Tony guessed, and got a nod and a smile in response. “Alrighty. Pick a spot, but make sure you take a blanket. Can’t have my assistant getting frostbite,” he said lightly. Then he got up — making sure to stay within Penny’s line of sight — and headed over to the computer.

He heard Penny shuffling around but didn’t pay much attention as he got to work, grumbling under his breath about the dinosaur in front of him.

Not that he could focus for long, of course. His mind inevitably kept wandering back to the kid. He hadn’t been able to focus on much else since she’d been ‘given’ to him.

More specifically, he kept thinking about how she’d apologized for dissociating because it was ‘rude’.

He’d nearly laughed at first, only to realize that she was perfectly serious. She’d had the most embarrassed-yet-earnestly-apologetic expression on her face that had done things to his heart he couldn’t explain.

The most heart wrenching part was that he wasn’t sure where she’d gotten the idea from. It didn’t seem like members of a terrorist organization would care much about whether or not the child they were abusing was rude by dissociating or not. The very fact that she was earnestly apologizing rather than just cowering in fear left a similar message — that the concept hadn’t been learned from the Ten Rings.

‘Rude’ was another key word — it didn’t imply pain so much as chastisement. Or… parenting.

But what parent would tell a child that dissociating was rude? And for that matter — what if it wasn’t a new thing for Penny? She hadn’t seemed even the slightest bit surprised or confused when he’d told her she’d ‘checked out’, and if it wasn’t intentional, then it had to be something she’d experienced before.

Tony shook his head, the list of questions he had regarding Penny Parker only seemed to get longer with every passing moment. The most frustrating part was that even if the kid was right in front of him, there was no easy way to get the answers he wanted. Curiosity and patience constantly warred in Tony’s mind, but especially on the matter of Penny.

With a sigh, Tony forced his thoughts from the tiny enigma and back to the code in front of him. There was no other choice but to wait.

**~*~**

“Stark,” a voice said, startling Tony awake.

In a flash, he was on his feet, heart pounding as he looked around for a threat. “Wha—?” he asked, not caring how panicked he sounded.

“Sorry,” Yinsen said in a reassuring tone. “I only woke you because I cannot find Penny.”

 _That_ did nothing to help Tony’s anxiety. “ _What?_ Whaddya mean you can’t find her?” he demanded, starting to search the room frantically. “Did they take her while we were sleeping?” He cursed, hating himself for making such a stupid mistake. “I should’ve stayed awake. Kept watch.”

“I am sure we would have woken if they had. That door is not particularly quiet,” Yinsen pointed out.

Ignoring the fact that Yinsen had a pretty good point, Tony just kept looking around. “Penny?” he called out, hoping she’d just decided to play a game of hide and seek… without telling the seekers.

A clear knock had both Tony and Yinsen turn and look up to the source of the noise. It was hard to see without a light pointing in the same general direction, but there was a shape on top of a large stack of crates in the corner of the room that Tony eventually identified as Penny. Tony and Yinsen let out relived sighs in perfect tandem, Tony going so far as to rest his hands on his knees. “You,” he said between deep breaths, pointing up at her and shaking his head despite the half-smile tugging at his lips. “You are a menace, kid.”

“You are the one who told her to pick any spot, Stark,” Yinsen said in an amused voice.

Tony huffed, but otherwise ignored him. “You gonna come down, Charlotte? Or are you gonna hide out in your web for a while?”

There was a shuffling and Tony couldn’t resist the urge to hover a little closer to the stack of boxes in case Penny fell while climbing down. Thankfully, she was just fine on her own, and smiled shyly at Tony when she reached the bottom, giving him and Yinsen a little wave.

Tony chuckled. “Hey, kid. You sleep okay up there?”

 _‘Yes,’_ she signed, and Tony noted that she definitely seemed… well, not _well_ rested, but the bags under her eyes weren’t as bad as they had been.

“That’s all that matters then,” he said with a yawn. He doubted he’d gotten more than an hour or two of sleep before his rather rude awakening. “You gonna be okay with Yinsen if I get some more sleep?” he asked, not wanting her to feel like he was abandoning her or something.

“We could play backgammon,” Yinsen offered with a reassuring smile.

Penny only briefly hesitated, then nodded, waving once more at Tony before padding over to where Yinsen had already started pulling the board game out.

Tony dragged a hand down his face in relief as he sank down onto his own cot and laid down, asleep in seconds.

**~*~**

He woke later when something tugged twice on Tony’s sleeve. They were short little tugs, the kind of thing intended to get someone’s attention. Or, in Tony’s case, wake him up.

Thankfully, he didn’t feel quite so discombobulated, so he didn’t practically jump out of his skin once semi-conscious. When he opened his eyes and spotted wide, worried brown orbs staring down at him, Tony realized that a part of him had known that Penny had been the one to wake him up. “Hey, Bambi,” he mumbled as he sat up. “Somethin’ wrong?”

Penny’s worried expression quickly morphed into one of excitement, and she shook her head, tugging twice at his sleeve once more.

“She wants to show you something,” Yinsen said with a chuckle from where he was sitting by the cooking fire.

Given Yinsen’s amusement, he figured whatever it was couldn’t be _bad_ , so he got up and followed the kid over to the computer, where some of the code he’d been working on was up, a few scraps of paper and a pencil on the worktable beside it.

Tony felt a flash of irritation when he realized what had happened and had to fight back the urge to tell Penny off for messing with his work. That thought was quickly chased away by an image of Howard doing the exact same thing to him as a child. Then all he could feel was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, a combination of dread and panic because Tony had no idea how he was supposed to respond to a kid screwing up all his work without losing his cool and totally freaking her out.

But at the same time, if she did whatever kids did that inevitably ended with something breaking, it wasn’t like they were in Tony’s lab in Malibu or at SI where it was easy to replace equipment or materials. Instead, they were in the hands of terrorists who were looking for any excuse to — violently — remind Tony exactly who was in charge. And while Tony preferred to avoid any unnecessary torture sessions, he also knew that he’d have to take the blame if a crucial part broke and needed replacing, even if it had been at Penny’s hand. He’d cover for her in a heartbeat if it kept her away from _them_.

“What’s this?” he asked, forcing a lighthearted tone.

Apparently, it wasn’t light enough, because Penny’s smile faded and she bit her lip, looking over at Yinsen with an expression that was practically begging for help. Which only made Tony feel worse. He _hated_ that he was the reason her smile had fallen, why she was suddenly nervous and unsure. She had so little going for her and he’d gone and taken away something else because he was completely unequipped for this sort of thing.

There was a reason he’d told Yinsen he wasn’t a parent.

“Do not worry, Mr. Stark,” Yinsen said mildly. “Penny is a very polite young lady. She was merely looking at your work when she found a mistake and asked if she could use some paper. I believe she wrote down the correction so you could check it before making any changes.” He paused and hummed thoughtfully. “Well, she wanted _me_ to check it first, but I am afraid the math is a little beyond my capabilities.”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up at that. He had no doubt that Yinsen was an intelligent man, and while Tony could understand his coding skills might be lacking (he was a medical doctor after all — that didn’t usually require an understanding of computer programming), he’d had to have some pretty impressive math skills in order to put the right size _magnet_ in Tony’s chest in such a way that it would hold the shrapnel in his veins in place, rather than attract or repel them to the point of damaging any blood vessels.

Which meant that Penny was either taking a shot in the dark, or she knew numbers nearly as well as Tony did. At _six_.

“Oh,” Tony said lamely, his eyes already drifting to the scraps of paper before him. Without prompting, Penny lifted a trembling finger to the spot Yinsen was talking about, then the paper with her correction.

It took quite a while to decipher her work — not only because her handwriting was as uneven as any kid’s was, but because it officially confirmed that Penny did indeed write backwards. Well, not backward in the sense that she wrote right to left. No, like the letters she drew into his palm, every number was a mirror image of itself.

Once again, he thought that she had dyslexia — it would explain why she might’ve found a mistake that wasn’t there (in any other circumstance, Tony might have commented on the issue, but the last thing he wanted was to put the kid down. That was something to figure out when Penny was actually in a place where writing her letters backwards was a relatively normal problem compared to being held captive by terrorists).

Still, Tony was confident that there wasn’t, until he realized that aside from the strange writing, her math was perfectly correct. He looked between the paper and the computer several times, stunned because sure enough, there it was, right in front of him: a miscalculation. And not just any calculation. No, it was the kind that had a butterfly effect. Get it wrong and everything that follows is too.

Tony couldn’t believe it.

“Your math is always right, is it?” Yinsen asked innocently, a smile quirking at the corners of his lips as Tony stared at the kid’s correction. The expression on Tony’s face had likely given away the fact that Penny’s work was good.

Tony rolled his eyes at the reminder of his bragging while Yinsen had been helping him with the arc reactor, but couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. “Considering the circumstances,” he said, gesturing to their surroundings. “Even a genius can make mistakes.”

“Well, I suppose we should be grateful that you’re not the only genius around.” Yinsen nodded to Penny, who blushed and looked at the ground, her shoulders tense, clearly still expecting Tony to be upset.

“I guess so,” Tony said warmly, wanting to reassure her because he wasn’t upset in the slightest. In fact, he was kind of proud. She really was a genius. Not to mention polite. “Don’t stress, Little Miss Genius. You did good. Really, really good. I’m impressed.”

He wasn’t one to throw out compliments easily, but seeing the way the kid beamed at him made him want to say all sorts of ridiculously mushy things if it kept her smiling.

Tony couldn’t remember an instance where his father had ever complimented him, and for the first time he wondered if Howard had tried and simply didn’t feel or ignored the feeling Tony was experiencing with Penny, or never cared enough to say something kind in the first place. Was he heartless or neglectful? He almost wished it was the former, if only because it was easier to forgive.

Maybe Howard had been a bad father because he simply didn’t know what he was missing by being a good one.

“Well kid, since you’re the genius who figured this—” Tony began, only to stop short when shouting could be heard on the other side of the door.

They were about to have visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just totally ignore the fact that in the movie, the computer display was entirely in Arabic (I think?). I’m justifying this because the keyboard was a QWERTY Latin-script layout (meant for Indo-European languages… like, I dunno, English? *eyeroll*). Go IM props department!
> 
> Yes, I did watch that scene a bajillion times while writing this story. Why? Because THERE ARE SO MANY PLOT HOLES IN THE ESCAPE SCENES! I mean honestly! How was Yinsen supposed to get out if the plan was for Tony to _fly_ out in the first place? The original plan was so vague in the movie that I kinda had to come up with my own version, and THEN come up with one to include Penny. 
> 
> I had originally planned on just glossing over it, but I’m annoyingly detail-oriented with my plotting and just couldn’t let it go, even if I didn’t end up writing it… and by the time I figured it all out, I just _had_ to include it because all that time would’ve been a total waste otherwise.


	7. Leverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their captor laughed harder, turning around to say something to the rest of the creepily amused goons in a disbelieving tone. “The murderer will not do that which makes him a man,” Yinsen translated. “And thinks himself better than us for it.”
> 
> Tony decided not to touch that one with a ten foot pole. It wasn’t about who had the superior morality or masculinity or the number of dead bodies that could be attached to their name. “She’s a _child_ ,” Tony hissed through clenched teeth.
> 
> Mini-boss’ eyebrows shot up in surprise when Yinsen translated Tony’s words. He hummed, then responded. “Very well. If you will not take her, then perhaps it is time to dispose of her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not posting last week. I was out of town and got super busy. 
> 
> I’m planning on posting chapter eight next week, but I’m a little stuck on the next few chapters and things are about to get real busy with school starting soon. I’m going to try to work through my block and get a few chapters done this week so I’ve got more of a buffer, but if I don’t, I may pause posting for a week or two until I’ve got a better groove.
> 
> Now, onto chapter seven, where Penny finally gets her hug!… sort of.

Yinsen got to his feet, held his hands above his head and gave Tony a look that made him curse under his breath. There was a good chance the Ten Rings’ Mini-boss was coming back for Penny and Tony had no clue how to stop it.

A loud bang on the door startled the room’s three occupants, particularly Penny, who just about leapt to the ceiling in fright. Tony leaned over so he was level with her and had to bite back another curse when he noted that her eyes were already glazed over like they had been when she’d been dissociating. “Penny,” he said as firmly yet gently as possible to draw her focus from the door.

Reluctantly, she turned to him and the distance in her gaze lessened, only to be quickly replaced by tears.

“Penny, it’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna do whatever I can to protect you, I promise.” The words were tumbling from his lips before he could really even think about it. Part of him knew he was making unrealistic promises he had no guarantee of being able to follow through on, but he had to say _something_. “I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I left you before and that’s not gonna happen again, alright? You don’t need to check out or anything, okay? I promised we’d get you out of here. Nothing they do now is gonna change that.”

She didn’t acknowledge him, her expression blank as she blinked at him before crossing her arms in front of herself and hunching over in a clear effort to make herself smaller. Tony’s heart sank. She didn’t believe him. She trusted him to be kind to her, but not to protect her. Which, as much as he hated it, was fair.

The door finally swung open with a loud groan from the hinges and Tony straightened, raising his arms above his head and hoping he’d be able to keep his promise.

The man — _the terrorist_ — that paraded around with big gestures and false smiles like he was the leader of the Ten Rings (Tony suspected that he wasn’t, hence Tony’s mental ‘Mini-boss’ moniker for the guy — like… Bowser Jr.? Tony didn’t know. He didn’t play video games) burst into the room after the usual armed guards but without the same exuberance he usually had. Instead, Mini-boss was scowling, but rather than looking angry, he just looked at Tony like he was… _disappointed?_

Tony’s guess was confirmed when Mini-boss stopped in the middle of the room, put his hands on his hips, looked at Tony and slowly shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. As he spoke, he gestured at Penny, making the girl flinch violently and shuffle closer to Tony.

“You did not take advantage of the gift we gave you,” Yinsen translated, though his voice was deadpan. “Will you have her, or does the great Merchant of Death prefer his women closer to the grave?”

Tony blanched at the words, making Mini-boss chuckle darkly. After moment, Tony forced a shrug. “Nah. Rape’s not really my thing.”

Their captor laughed harder, turning around to say something to the rest of the creepily amused goons in a disbelieving tone. “The murderer will not do that which makes him a man,” Yinsen translated. “And thinks himself better than us for it.”

Tony decided not to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. It wasn’t about who had the superior morality or masculinity or the number of dead bodies that could be attached to their name. “She’s a _child_ ,” Tony hissed through clenched teeth.

Mini-boss’ eyebrows shot up in surprise when Yinsen translated Tony’s words. He hummed, then responded. “Very well. If you will not take her, then perhaps it is time to dispose of her.” He gestured to one of the men, who moved forward like he was going to grab Penny.

“No,” Tony growled, stepping so that he was fully between them and Penny. He was surprised but didn’t react when he felt one of her hands gripping the back of his shirt, like she needed a silent reassurance that Tony would do as he promised. “She stays with us.”

Yinsen translated, and Mini-boss scowled, leaning to the side so he could glance at Penny, then back at Tony. He looked back at the rest of his goons, who all were staring at them with oddly blank expressions. Suddenly, he snorted loudly — obnoxiously so — and Tony could feel Penny flinch behind him. Mini-boss started speaking again, his tone first amused, then serious, which made sense once Yinsen interpreted.

“You have grown attached. It is unexpected, but no matter. You may keep the child for now. But be warned; she has tried to escape many times and failed. I suggest you do not encourage her, or else _you_ will pay the price. And know that if you fail your task, then I will happily return her to my men, then be rid of her once they are done.”

Tony bit back a curse. He should’ve known they’d take advantage of this. Yinsen had even said as much when he’d told Tony he wasn’t completely powerless. Penny was the perfect leverage — a new way to keep Tony in line without harming him through torture. It was something that Tony had been counting on; they could torture him — they _had_ tortured him — but there was a limit to how much bodily harm they could cause without compromising his ability to do what they had captured him for in the first place.

Rather than replying, Tony just nodded, accepting the threat simply because he had no response. And no other option.

Mini-boss smiled in triumph, yelled something at his men, then turned and left, much to Tony, Yinsen and Penny’s relief.

As soon as the doors slammed shut, Tony looked back at Penny for the first time since their visitors had arrived. She was pale and practically vibrating in fear, hunched over herself except for the hand that still clung to the back of Tony’s shirt. Her gaze was aimed at the door — and while her eyes weren’t unfocused and distant like he’d feared, they were wide and panicked. She looked like she was expecting them to come back for her any second.

His chest ached because of the sharp contrast between the terrified kid in front of him and the excitable genius who’d woken him up. He felt a sudden urge… impulse… _instinct_ to comfort her, protect her with everything he had. He took a brief moment to breathe deeply and push all of his anger down and summon up all of the patience he could muster before making a move.

“Penny,” he whispered, his effort not to startle her failing as she flinched and snapped her head up to look at him. Tony tried to smile reassuringly, but it probably looked more like a grimace. “You’re alright, kiddo. You’re not going anywhere. You’re safe, remember?” He signed _‘safe’_ the way she had before, although he wasn’t sure how well she could see it, since she was still standing directly behind him. “Hey, Pen, you wanna let go so I can turn and see you?”

Over his shoulder, he caught a minute shake of her head as the fist in his shirt tightened.

He sighed but didn’t push it. “Can we sit down then? You look like you’re about to fall over.” It was the truth — he could see her knees literally knocking together as they struggled to keep her upright.

After a solid minute of consideration, she nodded once. Tony slowly led her over to the folding chairs that sat by the cooking fire and moved them close together so they could both sit. The entire time, she kept her hold on his shirt, following him like a little duckling (or a baby elephant? Weren’t they the ones who kept up with their mothers by holding onto their tails?).

To Tony’s surprise, as soon as they sat down, Penny used her free hand to drag her chair even closer, shifting so that she was practically glued to his side as her grip moved from his shirt to the leg of his pants.

Unsure of what to make of the new development, Tony awkwardly shifted the arm that was between himself and Penny around, trying to find a comfortable place to rest it. Eventually, his arm found its way around her shoulders, holding her close as she leaned against his side. Once she was settled, she relaxed with an exhale that tickled Tony’s side.

Tony didn’t know how he was supposed to respond to Penny’s sudden clinginess. To go from her barely willing to hold his hand to suddenly sticking to him like glue in the course of… what? Ten minutes? Fifteen? It was unexpected, to say the least.

It was obvious what the catalyst for the change was, but the _why_ and what it _meant_ were lost on Tony.

When he looked to Yinsen for help, all he got was a shrug and a weak but amused smile in return — the man was clearly just as rattled by their visitors as he was. Tony scowled at him, silently complaining that the other man was no help. It was like he _wanted_ Tony to figure it all out on his own.

Tony cursed internally, realizing that was _exactly_ what Yinsen was trying to do.Once again, the real question was _why_. He had theories, of course, but they were theories he wasn’t willing to entertain, even in his own mind.

But neither question was particularly important at the moment, because another far more urgent _why_ was niggling at him as the uneasy feeling in his gut grew. There had been something… off about their captor’s visit. Tony knew he should’ve felt relieved when they’d left Penny behind, but instead he got the feeling that something was wrong.

Then Penny shuddered and pushed a little closer to his side. He looked down to see her eyes looking a little vacant, so he slowly started rubbing her back, launching into the first story about the bots he could think of off the top of his head in order to help her settle. Hopefully it’d keep her calm and present.

And if Tony felt a little calmer with the kid tucked against his side, no one had to know.

**~*~**

“It was too easy,” Tony mumbled later, speaking before he could think about it.

“What?” Yinsen asked, hardly glancing up from a rather intense cleaning of his glasses.

“Getting them to leave Penny with us,” he said, looking down when he felt the kid’s head shift so she was looking up at him, squinting in confusion. “The leader… he was only pretending to be surprised. None of the goons with guns were surprised at _all_. They didn’t put up a fight — why? Why were they so quick to leave her here?”

“To… motivate you,” Yinsen said simply, shooting a wary glance at Penny, like he didn’t want to have this conversation in front of her.

Tony ignored him. Whatever their reasoning, it was better for Penny to know so she didn’t play right into their hands. It was like he’d told Yinsen… if she was resourceful, then she’d be more of a help than a hinderance during their escape. Especially if they were right about her multiple escape attempts. He looked at Penny. “Did you really try to escape?”

She nodded, holding up three fingers.

Three times. He wondered how far she’d gotten. But that was a question for later.

“Cautionary tales,” Tony mused, looking back at Yinsen. “She’s not just leverage. It’s a power play — they’re trying to scare me by showing me what they’re willing to do — just how far they’re willing to go and who they’re willing to hurt.”

“And provide them with a way to punish you without harming you so you can’t work,” Yinsen concluded, his eyes wider as he seemed to be putting the same pieces together that Tony was.

“Exactly,” Tony said, remembering Yinsen’s warning about his heart. “But then why the dog and pony show?” Tony asked. “Why not just bring her in and _tell_ us this? It’s not like we could’ve refused. It’s like they were expecting me to want to keep her here… like they _wanted_ me to try to protect her.”

Penny grabbed his hand — the one not around her shoulders — and wrote on his palm. T-E-S-T. T-R-I-C-K.

“She was not a _‘gift’_ ,” Yinsen spat, looking disgusted. “Not unless you wanted her to be. She is meant to hold you back. They believe the instinct to protect will override any risks we may be willing to take to escape.”

Tony huffed. “A new variable. They’ve got to know that I’ve been around the block a few times, that I’ve been kidnapped and escaped before. And that there’s no such thing as perfect security measures. They’re counting on me finding loopholes, but making sure I’m not willing to risk it in the name of protecting Penny.”

W-O-R-K-I-N-G? Penny asked, biting her lip as she looked up at him with a worried expression.

Tony grimaced. “Yeah, it kinda is,” he said reluctantly. “I promised I’d get you out of here, didn’t I? And I promised that I’d keep you safe. I’m not going to go back on that now.”

Penny looked like she couldn’t decide whether to be upset or relieved by his words. W-H-A-T N-O-W?

“We figure out a new plan,” Tony said simply. Because there _was_ another way. Tony would make sure of it. “They showed their cards without realizing it, so now we use it against them. They’re the idiots who thought it was a good idea to give us a kid smart enough to try and escape _three_ times. They think they’ve tied one hand behind our backs when they’ve actually given us our ticket out of here.” He grinned mischievously and was thrilled to see Penny return with a matching one.

Yinsen suddenly chuckled. “It is ironic. They are counting on ‘the greatest mass murderer in history’ to still be a good man — a man unwilling to harm a child and leave them behind. If you were as heartless as they say you are, then their plan would never have worked.”

“Maybe. But that’s why it’s a test,” Tony countered. “Then they’d know what to expect. They’d know just how far _I’d_ be willing to go now that they’ve backed me into a corner.” He perked up, his grin widening. “They’re gonna get complacent now. They’re not going to expect something like the suit if they think I wouldn’t be willing to risk it for Penny’s sake.”

“Are you?” Yinsen asked solemnly.

Tony looked down at Penny. “What do you think, Little Miss Genius? With the right plan, is it worth the risk?”

Penny gave him a thumbs up, then tapped her forehead. Tony raised an eyebrow, surprised by what he thought she was implying. “You’ve got some ideas? You gonna help?”

_‘Yes,’_ she signed eagerly, and Tony felt his chest swell with pride.

He held out a hand for a high five, and she clapped it without hesitation. “Atta girl.”

**~*~**

Penny’s stomach grumbling cut their conversation short, and after eating, Tony and Penny worked together on the code for the suit for the rest of the ‘day’.

When they’d moved over to work at the computer, Penny seemed to have realized that she’d latched onto Tony’s side, and had taken the first opportunity to put some distance between them, ducking her head to hide her face.

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. She’d clearly needed the physical comfort and reassurance — it made him wonder if it was the reason she hadn’t started dissociating — and yet she’d pulled away. Was it because her trust in him only went so far? Or was she still afraid of him? Or maybe he’d made her uncomfortable?

Regardless, it would’ve been a lie if he’d said he hadn’t felt a little disappointed when she’d backed away. It felt like he’d failed her somehow.

Tony let it go. Saying something would only draw attention to it — which didn’t seem like a good idea — and he knew it was better to let her initiate contact. He took it as a sign of progress, though. That she was feeling more comfortable around him.

So he kept a respectable distance as they worked, being sure not to make any sudden movements and to stay in her field of vision. Given the way she seemed to constantly glance over at Yinsen, it seemed almost instinctual for her to try and keep an eye on all potential threats in the room. Still, she seemed more at ease — if a little withdrawn — than ever before, which was another win in Tony’s book.

His progress on the suit might have been slightly slower as he explained the things the kid hadn’t understood as they went, but a lot of the stuff he’d thought was going over her head before _wasn’t_.

It was almost… _enjoyable_.

For a little while at least, Tony was able to forget about their circumstances. About where they were, why they were building a suit and just how close they had come to losing Penny.

The revelation that the Ten Rings had been using Penny — and was _still_ trying to (and it was working) — against him was infuriating. And terrifying.

Tony hadn’t mentioned it to Yinsen or Penny, but he’d also realized that not only were their lives at risk to keep him in line, but if Tony died, then so did they. Or worse, if one got left behind during their escape, they’d only be kept alive long enough to be tortured into giving up any kind of information on him and _then_ they’d be killed. Yinsen because he wouldn’t be needed and Penny because she’d already tried to escape three times.

Essentially, the only way either of them got out alive hinged on their escape plan. There was the off chance that they would keep Tony alive, but it was slim.

Which meant that they had one shot. Their plan had to be perfect — well prepared, but adaptable.

Yinsen apparently had been thinking along the same lines, because it wasn’t long after Penny went to sleep that he brought the matter up. “I do hope whatever plan you come up with is safer than the one you currently have,” Yinsen said slowly, almost bitterly.

Tony huffed. “The current plan involves me taking out as many goons and weapons as I can with the suit with you following at a safe distance. Then, once we’re in the clear, steal a car and drive away. You said you know the area, so you can guide us to wherever we can find a phone. It’s honestly not that complicated, Yinsen.”

The doctor’s jaw clenched and he looked down at his hands, apparently unhappy with Tony’s summation of things. “Then why are there flight thrusters in the suit plans?” he whispered, though without seeming accusatory.

“Emergency backup,” Tony answered without hesitation. “If push comes to shove, they’re a last-ditch attempt to blow this popsicle stand.” Tony didn’t want to admit it out loud, but when he’d come up with the idea for the suit, the flight systems were really only meant to be used on the assumption that he was the _only_ one needing to get out.

Meaning Yinsen was dead or incapacitated. And now, Penny as well.

The thought made him feel sick, and he instantly knew he needed to come up with other alternatives. “Look, we’ll talk to Penny tomorrow and see what she has to say about her escape attempts. Considering the fact that she’s _tiny_ and can’t drive, I’m willing to bet her plans were a tad more complicated… and sneakier.”

“And there is nothing stealthy about that suit,” Yinsen added dryly, gesturing to the parts in front of them.

Tony chuckled. “True. But the less attention you two draw to yourselves following me out the better. Besides, I’m Tony Stark. I’m _always_ the center of attention,” he said with a cocky smile that felt hollow and strained.

Yinsen sighed, seemingly indifferent to Tony’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Stark, I need you to tell me right now: if, as you say, push comes to shove, will you fly away in that suit without Penny?”

He tried not to feel insulted by the doctor’s obvious question of whether or not Tony would be selfish enough to put his safety above Penny’s. “No,” he said firmly. “She’d have to be dead,” he admitted bluntly. “You too. Leaving you alive would only be a death sentence.”

To Tony’s surprise, Yinsen sighed, then pursed his lips. “Yes. But for me, it does not matter if I am alive or dead,” he said with a shake of his head. “If something goes wrong and you can get Penny out, then do it.” Tony started to protest, only to stop when the other man held up a hand. “Do _not_ risk her life any more than absolutely necessary, Stark. If you have to, you need to be prepared to leave me behind.” His expression softened. “It is what I want. Promise me.”

Tony felt as though his mind was warring with itself as he tried to think of a way around it. They needed him for the escape. Yinsen knew the area… without him, they’d just be wandering the desert with no way of knowing where to go. Just because he wouldn’t be wearing the suit or wasn’t a kid didn’t mean he was useless…

Besides, the last thing Tony wanted was to leave Yinsen behind. The doctor had saved his life, had somehow kept him sane during his first few weeks in his own personal ring of Dante’s purgatory. He owed Yinsen _everything_ , and now the man was asking him to leave him behind? Even if it was for Penny, Tony _refused_ to believe that there wasn’t a way out for all three of them.

But, better to be prepared for every eventuality. He’d have to come up with contingencies… without telling Yinsen. If he knew… if he thought he was expendable, he’d throw his life away at the drop of a hat rather than think to try and fast and look for another option. Or at least let Tony do the thinking.

Tony needed to make sure Yinsen knew he was needed. And not just for directions.

Raising his chin defiantly, Tony shook his head. “I can’t promise you that, Yinsen. If I do, you’re gonna get the stupid idea that it’s cool to sacrifice yourself for either one of us and that’s just not gonna happen.”

“Stark…” Yinsen said in a warning tone, which only made Tony more irritated.

“No!” he hissed, trying to keep his voice low so they didn’t wake Penny up. “We’re gonna need your help out there. _I’m_ gonna need your help… after,” he added more slowly, hoping that Yinsen would understand from the hint of vulnerability he allowed in his voice. “Besides, think about what you’re asking me here. I’d be killing you if I left you behind alive.”

“If we fail, they will kill all of us,” he pointed out.

Tony nodded. “Which is exactly why it has to work. It’s the only way we don’t end up dead. That _you_ don’t end up dead. I don’t want your blood on my hands. Do you? Would you be able to promise to leave me behind if it meant getting Penny out?”

“Yes,” he returned without hesitation, a calm yet stubborn gleam in his eye that said he was completely unapologetic about it. Stunned, Tony just stared at him, a whirl of thoughts chasing their way through his mind too quickly to identify. “But I will not have to,” Yinsen added just as confidently. “Because _Penny_ needs _you_ , not me. Which is why your suit needs to be prepared to fly both of you. It would not handle my weight, but Penny is small enough…”

“Are you kidding me?” Tony demanded, already coming up with a hundred reasons why that was a _very bad_ idea. “She shouldn’t be anywhere _near_ the suit once it’s online! The suit is good — it _probably_ won’t malfunction or explode on its own, but I’m making it bulletproof for a reason. I can’t predict anything, but one wrong hit and it explodes with me inside it. It’s untested technology. All of it is, but the thrusters especially. There’s no way I could fine tune them enough to guarantee a soft landing. It’s the _emergency_ backup for a reason and _definitely_ not a risk I’m willing to take with Penny!”

“Then you are playing right into their hands,” Yinsen said just as fiercely.

“Didn’t you _just_ tell me not to take any unnecessary risks on Penny’s life?” Tony countered. “Then two seconds later you’re telling me to take the biggest risk of all and _fly_ with a _kid_ attached?”

The doctor shrugged. “Then lower the risks. If you have to fly away, then it’s likely fair to say that the risks are necessary.”

Tony scoffed. “Yeah, that’s why it’s called a _backup_ plan. I’d be protected by the suit, so assuming it doesn’t explode entirely, the risks are much lower for me. But it’s not like I can build a suit for the kid. I’d have to carry her, completely unprotected, while flying using technology that is guaranteed to crash land. What am I supposed to do, sew a parachute?” Tony looked around the room. “I dunno if you’ve noticed, but except for a few blankets, we’re a little short on fabric.”

“I thought you were a genius.”

Tony hated that when Yinsen spoke, the words immediately felt like a challenge. And not just any challenge, but one meant to be a distraction… to pull Tony from the real reason they were arguing. “I am. And you’re an idiot if you thought I’d forget about that so-called promise. You’re setting yourself up to make the sacrifice play and I’m not gonna let you. _Three_ airmen sacrificed themselves trying to protect me. The Ten Rings gunned them down using _my_ weapons — weapons that are supposed to be _protecting_ them. They died for _nothing_ and I’m not gonna sit by and watch someone else do the same thing.”

There was a flash of either shame or pity in Yinsen’s eyes. “They were doing their jobs, Stark.”

“Just like you’d be doing yours?” Tony snapped. “Dying is _not_ your responsibility here. Living is. We can find a way to get _all_ of us out of here alive, but not if you keep thinking like a self-sacrificial idiot.”

Yinsen shook his head. “Sometimes there is no other way, Stark. You asked if I would be willing to leave you behind if it meant getting Penny out. The real question is: would you _want_ me to?”

Tony opened his mouth to answer, then stopped, because the automatic _‘yes’_ that had nearly escaped would have only made him a hypocrite. Instead, he stared at the doctor, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he tried to come up with an acceptable answer that would keep Yinsen from doing something he couldn’t take back.

His lack of response made Yinsen slump, and he shook his head sadly. “There is the difference between us, Stark. You are willing to live for Penny. I am willing to die for her.”

Tony frowned. “Isn’t that the same thing?” he asked, because he honestly _would_ be willing to die for Penny. But he was pretty confident he’d be able to avoid it.

“No. They are not,” Yinsen said sadly. “And may there never come a day where you find out why.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole ‘Mini-boss’ moniker for Abu Bakaar is simply because his name isn’t actually mentioned in the movie’s dialogue and I honestly blanked on nicknames for the guy that wasn’t ‘Mini-boss’ and ‘Beardy’. Pathetic, I know.
> 
> On Tony and Yinsen’s conversation — remember that these are unreliable narrators and that nothing is in absolutes. They’re expressing their opinions, nothing more. Tony’s in denial and Yinsen… well, Yinsen is missing a crucial element that Penny and Tony both still have. But you’ll find out what that is later. :P


	8. Penguins, Padawans and Paragliders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then, after a while (she’d lost count of the days a long time ago), Mr. Stark had started nagging Penny and Mr. Yinsen about eating, sleeping and taking breaks just as much as Mr. Yinsen did.
> 
> The weird thing was; when Mr. Yinsen did it, he reminded Penny of a teacher. When Mr. Stark did it, he reminded her of her daddy and Uncle Ben. It was the difference between: “Penny, would you like something to eat?” and “Ah-ah! Drop the screwdriver, my young Padawan. Time to eat. Even a Jedi can’t survive on the Force alone.”
> 
> (He’d taken to calling her ‘Padawan’ when she’d told him her favorite movie was _Star Wars_. It never failed to make her smile.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late! Ended up doing more reading than writing yesterday. Oops! ;)
> 
> Just to clarify:  
> ‘ ’ = signing rather than speaking (“ “)  
>  _’This’_ = the actual sign for the word is used.  
>  _’T-H-I-S’_ = fingerspelling is used (meaning each of the letters are signed as opposed to just one sign)  
> T-H-I-S. = Penny is writing into someone’s hand.
> 
> Later, Penny’s dialogue will look like a combination of the first two. I’ve written a few things Penny says using ASL grammar (or at least my understanding of it, but I’m not an expert) rather than English grammar in this chapter (meaning the order of the words is different and ASL doesn’t really use words like ‘the’ and ‘a’). I may or may not keep it up. I’m kinda limited by my current abilities and it depends on how much research I’m able to put into it. 
> 
> Anyway, I’m distinguishing between the three because then I don’t have to write “she signed” or “she wrote into his hand” a bajillion times and I want it to be more representative of how sign language is actually used. Hopefully it makes sense, and if I’m doing it wrong, feel free to let me know! 
> 
> Also, if there’s something Penny misspells that needs some clarification, let me know! The vast majority of the words she misspells are things I’ve seen in real life (I used to nanny kids around Penny’s age… kids can get really creative with their spelling!).
> 
> This chapter is a weird mishmash of angsty/fluffy things that somehow make up the longest chapter of this story so far, so… I don’t even know. There’s some POV jumping — the first few scenes are from Tony’s POV, then a couple are Penny’s, then it’s back to Tony (so let me know if it’s confusing and I’ll try to clarify it somehow). Basically, this chapter’s a (really long) filler and it’s weird. Don’t have high expectations. :P

“How far did you get?” Tony asked the next day as he was soldering the circuitry for the suit’s repulsors.

Penny tilted her head and furrowed her brows from where she was seated at the end of the worktable.

“Three escape attempts,” he blurted. “How far did you get?”

Her expression cleared, then she lifted one foot and slid the borrowed sock off. Then she held it out and pointed to the bottom, not caring in the least bit about its dirty appearance. Tony paused what he was doing and had to force himself to look closely rather than insist on a better response that was a bit less gross and slightly more obvious. But he had good deductive reasoning skills… might as well use them. After a moment, he realized that underneath the dirt, the skin on the bottom of her foot was discolored, like she’d been injured and it was in the late stages of healing that would eventually scar.

His first instinct was that they’d done something to her feet to try and keep her from running, but that didn’t answer his question of distance, meaning she’d likely gotten the injury _while_ attempting to escape. Given that she was barefoot, she must have stepped on something, and it wasn’t concentrated enough to be some sort of cut. If anything, it looked like she’d been…

“Hey Yinsen,” he said, calling the other man over. “That look like a burn to you?”

The doctor nodded even as he bent to take a closer look. “Yes. I noticed it on both of her feet when I put the socks on her. I would say they are mild second-degree burns. Recently healed. Perhaps a month old?” He shrugged. “It is a miracle it did not get infected. Do they hurt, Penny?”

_‘No,’_ she signed.

“Hot rocks,” Tony said, eyes going wide in realization. “They burned your feet when you ran.”

She shook her head, then held two fingers close together. _Close_.

His eyebrows shot up. “Sand?” he guessed, surprised. From what he remembered; the cave was entirely surrounded by rocky hills… probably at the base of a mountain. She’d had to have snuck past the camp outside and over at _least_ one hill to get to where the sand would be flat enough to absorb enough heat over the course of the day to actually _burn_ skin.

She nodded gravely. ‘ _R-O-C-K-S. C-O-L-D. D-A-R-K. H-I-D-E-D. Sleep. S-A-N-D. H-O-T,’_ she fingerspelled, slow enough for the other two to understand it. They were still getting the hang of things. It didn’t help that Penny was not the most… _effective_ teacher out there. But she was six, so they tried to be patient. Unsurprisingly, Yinsen was better at the patience thing than Tony was.

Still, it was getting easier to understand her.

“You snuck out in the middle of the night and hid in the hills because it was too dark to see,” he concluded. “You got the burns the next day when you hit the sand, which is when they found you.”

_‘Yes.’_ Penny’s expression looked pained, so despite the fact that he had more questions, he decided to drop it.

The whole thing was only a reminder that he’d forgotten to take the local environment into account when it came to their escape. With any luck, it wouldn’t matter much — but that was assuming they managed to hijack a vehicle once they’d cleared the cave and blown up pretty much everything else in their path — including the remnants of Tony’s suit.

But if worst came to worst… Tony could end up wandering the desert with a child and no idea where to go, wandering in circles until they died of exposure or dehydration, whichever came first. Assuming the suit didn’t blow up or they survived a crash landing.

Which was… not ideal.

Tony shook his head, deciding to focus on new contingency plans for this new worst-case scenario. They’d need flares. And shoes for Penny.

The latter he could figure out no problem, but kids’ shoes? He looked around, then paused when he spotted something on the worktable and reached for it.

“How do you feel about duct-tape shoes, squirt?” he asked with a grin, holding up a roll of said tape and waggling his eyebrows. “We can turn those socks into shoes… give you a little extra protection for when we escape.”

She wiggled her toes and giggled, the sound making Tony feel like he could do pretty much anything.

**~*~**

“When your feet were burned, was that the last time you tried to escape?” Tony asked a few days later. It’d been bothering him… because if the burns were over a month old — and Tony was _sure_ he’d been in the cave for at least that long, if not more — then why hadn’t they brought Penny to him sooner? Surely bringing a kid in with burned feet would work to their advantage, wouldn’t it?

_‘No, two,’_ Penny replied with a grimace. _‘Three B-E-F-O-R H-E-R-E.’_

That made him wonder whether using her as leverage had been their plan all along, or if her third escape attempt had been the final straw and instead of killing her, they’d just taken an opportunity and found another use for her. Which meant she hadn’t been part of their original plan, and that worked in Tony’s favor. There was a higher chance that they’d overlooked something.

“Did you make it out of the cave the first and third time?” Tony asked carefully.

_‘No. One, L-O-S-T. Three, C-O-T.’_

Tony hummed, figuring the last word was meant to be ‘caught’. “But you knew where you were going the second and third time?”

She paused to think about it for a second. _‘Yes. K-N-O-W W-A-Y O-U-T F-R-O-M H-E-R-E.’_

“Good,” he said with a grin. “You can tell me which way to go. I think Yinsen knows too, but better to keep our bases covered, eh?”

The way she beamed at him was just as bright as it was every time he mentioned her helping out in some way or another. It was obvious that she wanted to be useful, though whether that was part of her nature or a result of knowing that the Ten Rings were using her to limit Tony’s movements remained to be seen. She seemed like the kind of kid who liked being helpful, so he hoped that was just it. He didn’t want her to feel like she was a burden he was unwilling to take on.

The fact of the matter was, Tony had chosen to escape with Penny _before_ they understood the Ten Rings’ motivations with her, so to him, nothing had changed on that front. He’d wanted to reassure her of that, but didn’t know how, or if she’d believe him. As it was, she only seemed to believe that he wouldn’t hurt her and was planning on escaping with her, but otherwise seemed to doubt his promise to protect her.

He _hated_ it. But at the same time, he understood.

He just wished he could do more.

**~*~**

After the Bad Men left Penny with Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen, things were… easier. Over the next days and weeks, they fell into a routine that helped Penny feel more normal than she had in a long time.

Mr. Stark didn’t always stick to the routine the way Mr. Yinsen insisted he should, but only when it came to sleeping. He would stay up later than Penny and Mr. Yinsen to work quietly on the computer, and sometimes fell asleep at the table. He always complained about his back hurting when that happened, but he still got up and stuck to the routine. He ate with them and took breaks to play backgammon or just talk about things that didn’t remind them of the cave.

Penny got the feeling that at first, he only did it for her. Then, after a while (she’d lost count of the days a long time ago), Mr. Stark had started nagging Penny and Mr. Yinsen about eating, sleeping and taking breaks just as much as Mr. Yinsen did.

The weird thing was; when Mr. Yinsen did it, he reminded Penny of a teacher. When Mr. Stark did it, he reminded her of her daddy and Uncle Ben. It was the difference between: “Penny, would you like something to eat?” and “Ah-ah! Drop the screwdriver, my young Padawan. Time to eat. Even a Jedi can’t survive on the Force alone.”

(He’d taken to calling her ‘Padawan’ when she’d told him her favorite movie was _Star Wars_. It never failed to make her smile.)

For the first time in a long time, Penny didn’t feel quite so empty inside all the time.

She was still terrified pretty much every moment of every day, especially when the Bad Men would come back and visit from time to time, but it wasn’t the _only_ thing she felt anymore. Sure, she felt other things, but those feelings hadn’t lasted long.

Aside from fear, sometimes she felt happy too. Happy because Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen were kind and didn’t hurt her. Happy because Mr. Stark was letting her help him build his special suit so they could escape. Happy that Mr. Stark didn’t think she was a stupid baby. He thought she was smart, clever and resourceful and that made her feel _wanted_. Wanted for her mind, not her body.

Occasionally she was angry. Angry because she was scared. Angry because she missed her family more than anything. Angry because she couldn’t talk anymore because she didn’t deserve to and it hurt but she still wished she could. Angry because she was so _tired_ and couldn’t sleep for long without dreaming about things she didn’t want to think about. Sometimes it was the Bad Stuff, but sometimes it was the good stuff too. She didn’t want to dream about them because they made her sad.

The sadness always hit hardest when she had nothing to do. Which was mostly when she was trying to sleep, so more often than not she would doze off with tears falling down her cheeks and a hand over her mouth to keep the sniffles and sobs from escaping and making noise.

Those were the times she wished someone would hold her and tell her everything would be alright. That she was safe, that no one would hurt her again and that her family was waiting for her to come home.

Except she wasn’t. She wasn’t safe. Not really. Mr. Stark said he’d protect her, and he’d tried, but Penny knew all too well that with the Bad Men, it didn’t matter how hard you fought — they always won. That’s why she always snuck away when she’d tried to escape, but never fought back when she was caught. The only way she could win was if she didn’t have to fight.

Mr. Stark _wanted_ to fight though. The suit of armor he was building wasn’t meant for sneaking, and that made Penny nervous.

Still, her sneaky escape plans hadn’t worked very well, so she’d decided to trust Mr. Stark’s plan. _She_ still had to do some sneaking, but she was more afraid of Mr. Stark getting hurt if something went wrong.

Penny knew that there was no one waiting for her to come home. That was why she didn’t want Mr. Stark to get hurt. She was hoping that he would take care of her, even if it was just for a little while. Maybe he’d find her somewhere safe to live… nice people who would adopt her instead of foster. She didn’t want to have a foster family again.

She shook her head, trying not to worry about it too much. Her mommy always said she thought too fast and ‘got ahead of herself’, but her daddy said she was just a ‘forward thinker’. Penny wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but she figured it had something to do with what Aunt May had called an ‘overactive imagination’. _That_ , Penny could understand, and kind of agreed. She’d always liked to play pretend, especially when she was bored in school. Her teachers called it daydreaming.

Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen called it dissociating.

Whatever it was, Penny wasn’t sure how to feel about the imaginations anymore. Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen seemed worried about it, because sometimes when she got really, really scared for some reason (and there were a lot of them), they told her over and over again to stay with them and were relieved when she did.

That was the thing that saddened her the most. It had happened a few times — when the Bad Men came back and stared at her for too long, or when she’d wanted a hug, but every time she thought about asking for one, she’d get scared and then couldn’t breathe, which scared her even more, so she’d start to imagine being somewhere safer. Then, when things were back to normal, she’d climb up to her sleeping spot (Mr. Stark called it her ‘little nest’) and hid under a blanket and quietly cried until she fell asleep.

Those days were the hardest.

She didn’t know why it was so hard to ask for a hug when Mr. Stark had already given her a half one after the Bad Men left the first time. At the time, she’d been so scared that she hadn’t quite realized what she was doing — it had just helped her stay calmer, knowing that there was someone nearby who didn’t want to hurt her.

When she’d realized what she’d done, she’d been terrified and her skin felt prickly for days afterward. She hadn’t dared to try it again the next time.

She hadn’t known it was possible to want something but be afraid of it at the same time.

It helped that holding Mr. Stark’s hand wasn’t quite so scary anymore. Despite the fact that she’d taught Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen how to sign the alphabet, she still found herself reaching for one of their hands to draw on it if she was close enough — especially Mr. Stark’s.

“Penny?” Mr. Stark asked, drawing her from her thoughts. “You looked like you were checking out on me there. You okay?” The worried look on his face made her want to cry because it reminded her of all the parents she’d lost.

She gave a jerk of her head that was neither a yes nor a no, and reached out to grab his hand. He let her and when she went to draw a letter, her mind went blank. She had no idea what to say, but his warm hands calmed her and she breathed out, closing her eyes and running her fingers over his rough skin. She focused on the hardened callouses and the smooth layer of new skin from a recently healed burn he’d gotten. Every detail, every texture helped center her. Everything else — even her imaginations — seemed to fade away as her breathing eased and the restless feeling that was constantly crying for comfort quieted.

Eventually, she felt ready enough to open her eyes, blushing when she realized Mr. Stark was staring at her — though he seemed a little less worried and more curious. _‘Sorry,’_ she signed with one hand, not letting go of his with the other.

“It’s okay,” he said reassuringly. Then he hesitated. “Does that— does that help?”

_‘Yes,’_ she signed, then spelled C-A-L-M in his hand.

Mr. Stark’s smile was wide and there was something warm in his eyes Penny couldn’t identify. “Good. If you feel like you need to do that again, you can. No questions asked. I don’t mind.”

Penny had to blink back tears of relief. _‘Thank you.’_

He mimicked the sign, a way of saying _‘You’re welcome.’_

**~*~**

Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen didn’t know it, but after the Bad Men left, she’d heard them argue when they thought she was asleep. She hadn’t quite understood everything they’d been saying — since she’d missed pieces of the conversation when they whispered — but she did understand that Mr. Stark could fly away in his suit in an emergency, but it was too dangerous for Penny or Mr. Yinsen to fly with him. Mr. Yinsen didn’t want to fly with the suit, but wanted Mr. Stark to be able to take Penny if there was no other choice.

Penny, of course, didn’t like the idea of leaving Mr. Yinsen behind at all, but when he’d told Mr. Stark to make it safer for Penny to fly with him without crashing, she got an idea. She didn’t know if it would work, or even if Mr. Stark would like it, but she wanted to be helpful and she figured _more_ ideas was better than _no_ ideas, right?

Rather than trying to explain it to Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen, Penny stole a larger piece of paper and a pencil and snuck it up to her little nest, where she would work on drawing her own blueprint whenever she could without drawing attention. It took a few days, and more than a few modifications when she realized they didn’t have enough of some materials, but eventually she finished it.

It took another day for her to work up the courage to show Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen, though. She’d had to remind herself over and over again that they’d only ever been nice to her, that they wouldn’t hurt her for having an idea. It wasn’t like the time she’d found a mistake in Mr. Stark’s code.

Still, Penny’s fingers were trembling when she brought her rolled up blueprint over to the worktable and tugged twice on Mr. Stark’s shirt to get his attention (she’d been worried it would bother him at first, but after a while it was practically second nature).

“Hey, Padawan,” Mr. Stark mumbled, glancing over at her with a soft smile. He noticed the paper in her hand and he quirked an eyebrow. “Whatcha got there?”

She tapped her forehead, then held up the paper for him to take, hoping he’d understand her invented sign for ‘idea’ (because she didn’t know the actual one). She bit her lip as Mr. Stark unrolled the paper, watching his expression carefully as he looked it over.

At first, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then smoothed out and raised in surprise and curiosity. “Is this a… hang glider? Paraglider? No, this is just a kite with handles!” Then Mr. Stark looked down at Penny in confusion. “Not that this isn’t great, Pen, but why do you want to build a kite?”

“Because it is easier than a parachute,” Mr. Yinsen said from where he was looking over Mr. Stark’s shoulder at Penny’s work.

All the color drained from Mr. Stark’s face. “What?”

Mr. Yinsen grimaced then looked at Penny. “You know about the emergency thrusters.” It wasn’t a question, but Penny nodded anyway.

“So you— you came up with a safer way to land in case, what? In case I have to fly off with you?” Mr. Stark asked. Penny couldn’t quite read his tone. He didn’t _look_ or _sound_ angry, but he wasn’t happy either. Not knowing made Penny nervous, so she couldn’t help the tiny step backwards she took when she nodded.

Immediately, Mr. Stark’s expression softened. “I’m not mad, kiddo. I’m just…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’m just worried. I don’t want to leave anyone behind, and this… this backup plan means leaving Yinsen behind.”

“Better to have one ready than not at all,” Mr. Yinsen said mildly, though he was looking at Mr. Stark with an odd expression on his face.

“I know,” Mr. Stark said, resigned. “But if we’re doing this, then we need a backup plan for _all_ of us and just the two of you. This,” he tapped Penny’s blueprint, “this can’t be our only backup plan.”

Mr. Yinsen nodded. “Very well.”

The tension between the two men seemed to dissolve, and Penny felt herself relaxing a little. _‘W-O-R-K?’_ she fingerspelled, tapping the paper and looking up at Mr. Stark hopefully.

He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Yeah, Little Miss. I think so. We’ll have to make some modifications, though. A little less kite and a little more paraglider. Some kind of harness, maybe. And collapsible, so it’s less likely to be damaged on our way out of here.”

_‘B-A-C-K-P-A-C-K?’_ was the first thing Penny could think of.

That made Mr. Stark grin, eyes twinkling the way they did when he got excited about building things, making Penny feel all warm inside. “Good idea. C’mon, let’s brainstorm.”

**~*~**

“Hey, Penny,” Tony said as Yinsen picked up the dice for his turn. The other two had been playing and, much to Tony’s amusement, Penny was winning. The kid was both good and lucky. Which was good, since she was seriously overdue for a little luck. “I already asked Yinsen this, so I gotta know: where are you from, exactly?”

Penny grinned when Yinsen got a bad roll. _‘Q-U-E-E-N-S, N-Y.’_

“Queens, eh? Lemme guess, you’re a Mets fan?” he asked with a smirk.

The kid gave him an unimpressed look that reminded him of Pepper. _‘Yeah, A-N-D?’_ she challenged.

Tony snorted but raised his hands innocently. “And nothing, Little League. You’re the one living in perpetual disappointment, not me.”

Penny rolled her eyes, then took the dice for her turn, otherwise ignoring him. Tony shook his head, filing away her answer for a later date.

**~*~**

_‘F-A-V-O-R-I-T. A-N-Y-M-A-L?’_ Penny asked. They’d taken to asking each other questions during their backgammon games. Partially to draw the kid out of her shell, but also to learn a little bit more about her background. And, ideally, to show her she could trust them.

“The bots,” Tony replied instantly. “They’re like dogs, but without the feeding and pooping bit. I have _literally_ played fetch with them. It’s what we do instead of going out for a walk.”

Penny giggled, then gestured for Yinsen to answer the question. He took a moment to consider before replying. “Meerkat.”

Tony frowned. “ _Meerkat_? Really?” Yinsen shrugged, but didn’t provide any further explanation. Tony rolled his eyes. “What about you, squirt?”

She looked off to the side, her lips moving the way they did whenever she was working out how to spell something. _‘P-E-N-G-W-I-N-G.’_

Tony shook his head, not recognizing the spelling at first. “I have no idea what that is.”

She huffed, got to her feet and started waddling around with her knees and elbows locked, and it clicked.

“Oh! Penguin!” Tony cried, laughing when she nodded eagerly. “That was a top-notch impersonation there. You ever see a penguin in person, city girl?”

She looked offended. _‘Z-O-O.’_

“Right,” Tony muttered. “Those exist in New York.”

Penny shook her head in disappointment. _‘You. Him. Me. T-O-R. N-Y-C,’_ she signed.

Both Tony and Yinsen chuckled, and Tony felt his heart soar because Penny clearly believed that not only would they escape, but that they’d see each other again. “You got it, Penguin,” he teased, and she grinned, clearly liking the nickname.

**~*~**

“Pen, can you hand me that—“ Tony asked, holding out a hand and looking up in surprise when the tool he was about to request appeared in his hand before he could finish speaking. “—wrench?” He looked at Penny curiously, realizing that it wasn’t the first time she’d been able to predict what he’d needed before he could say it. “Alright, I know you’re a genius, but no kid knows their way around a toolbox like that without help. Who taught you?” he asked, making sure not to sound accusatory.

The kid smiled sadly, then looked down at her knees, swinging her legs gently off of the worktable where she was seated. _‘U-N-C-L-E,’_ she fingerspelled, then held the sign for U up to the side of her forehead and moved it in a small circle. Given that it was a new sign he’d never seen before, Tony assumed it meant ‘uncle’. _‘Uncle B-E-N.’_ Then she repeated ‘uncle’, but with the sign for B instead of U. _‘Uncle Ben T-E-A-C-H-E-D me.’_

Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise. She hadn’t mentioned an uncle before. “Uncle Ben, eh? Is that where you get your interest in engineering from?”

_‘So-so. I H-E-L-P Uncle Ben F-I-X S-T-U-F-F. T-V. T-O-S-T-E-R.’_

Her explanation didn’t reveal all that much about Uncle Ben other than the fact that he was good at fixing electronics. Professional electrical engineer to amateur handyman could explain the man’s interest, but that wasn’t what was important. What it did reveal was that Penny had more family than he’d thought — family who cared enough to teach her something she was interested in.

“Smart guy,” he commented lightly, going back to work while still keeping an eye on Penny. “Guess I’ll have to thank him then. He taught you well.”

Penny shook her head, fingerspelling, then signing to teach him _‘Aunt May’_ , then _‘Mommy’_ and _‘Daddy’_. _‘A-L-L D-E-D.’_

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Tony said softly. “What happened?”

_‘Mommy. Daddy.’_ She mimed an airplane with her hand and crashed it into the table. _‘Aunt May. Uncle Ben.’_ Her fingers formed a gun while the other hand spelled _‘M-O-N-Y.’_

“Plane crash and a mugging?” Tony guessed, his heart sinking when her face crumpled and she nodded. He held out a hand, hoping she’d take it because it was all the physical comfort she could take at the moment. She did, closing her eyes and breathing deeply as she traced the rough skin on his fingers. “You didn’t deserve that, Pen,” he murmured. “You don’t deserve any of this.”

_‘P-A-R-C-K-E-R L-U-C-K,’_ she fingerspelled with a shrug as she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

**~*~**

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, _Queen_ Penny. There is nothing wrong with pineapple on pizza!” Tony exclaimed. Although he really wasn’t all that upset, because the way her nose wrinkled and she stuck out her tongue in disgust was just downright funny.

She shook her head. _‘B-L-A-S-T-F-E-M-Y.’_

Tony threw back his head and laughed, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. What six-year-old had the word ‘blasphemy’ in their vocabulary anyway? “Golly! I forgot that New Yorkers take pizza way too seriously!” Never mind the fact that Tony was technically from New York…

Penny lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders, clearly taking pride in that fact.

Meanwhile, Tony found himself watching her in amazement, because it felt like every day a little more of Penny’s true personality emerged, and he couldn’t deny that he _liked_ the kid.

And not because she was a kid but because _she_ was likable.

She was a traumatized kid, no doubt, but the timid, shy side to her was quickly proving to be more of a result of her circumstances than her actual personality. She was funny yet solemn. Innocent yet world weary. Trusting yet terrified. But above all else she was curious. Not just smart, but curious.

Her favorite question was; “why?”

It was the kind of question that drove most people mad. But not Tony. He’d always been the one to ask the same questions and wasn’t afraid to admit it if he didn’t know. And if he did, he explained it, even if she didn’t understand it. Which wasn’t all that often, if he was being honest.

Perhaps the most frustrating element of her curiosity was that — despite the signing and spelling, it was still a very limited form of communication, and therefore she struggled to ask the more complex questions he could tell she had. It bothered her; more than once he’d caught her opening and closing her mouth like she was trying to talk, only to scowl when the words wouldn’t come, or worse, she’d pale and glance at the door nervously before forcing her gaze to stay on her feet for the next several hours.

All in all, Tony was willing to bet that once upon time, Penny had been a pretty talkative kid. She had a wide-eyed, fascinated look that was frequently accompanied with a mouthed “wow” whenever she was presented with something new that she was particularly interested in.

It was, without a doubt, Tony’s second favorite trait (the first being the way she giggled) of the kid’s, and one he certainly wanted to preserve for as long as possible. That raw, open curiosity — the desire to _know_ — rarely lasted beyond childhood, but was something Tony missed dearly. Those he enjoyed working with most were the ones who still had traces of it. The understanding that one couldn’t know everything because there was always something new to discover. It was what made them great scientists and innovators.

It was that very curiosity and the drive to _know_ that would take Penny far in life.

They just had to escape, first.

**~*~**

_‘W-H-Y 3-6-0 circle?’_ Penny signed, tracing a circle on the blueprints she was examining for the hundredth time.

Tony didn’t even blink at the question. “Like, why 360 degrees instead of another number?”

_‘Yes.’_

Tony immediately began explaining the Babylonians’ sexagesimal system, mentally cheering his nineteen-year-old self for taking a ‘Cultural History of Mathematics’ course at MIT.

**~*~**

_‘W-H-Y F-E?’_ the kid asked, tapping the cast-iron skillet they used for cooking.

“It’s from Latin. Ferrum is the word for iron, and you know how much scientists _love_ to use Latin when naming things.” He clicked his tongue. “It’s just boring, if you ask me. It’s all either a Latin or Greek word or god, or just an -ium added to a name or place. I mean Berkelium? Californium? Seaborgium? Bohrium? They honestly couldn’t come up with anything more interesting than that?”

Penny tilted her head to the side and pointed at him.

Tony grinned. “If _I_ discovered an element, I’d name it badassium.” He snickered. “High school chemistry teachers everywhere would _love_ it.”

Penny giggled while Yinsen looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes. “Something tells me that would not go over well with the IUPAC,” he said lightly.

Tony scowled. “That’s why I hate committees. Boring, all of them.”

**~*~**

_‘W-H-Y M-E?’_ she asked with shaky fingers after a particularly bad dream.

It took a minute before the lump in Tony’s throat loosened enough for him to reply. “I wish I knew, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so there isn’t any confusion: Penny struggles to separate dissociating from daydreaming because in her experience they’re very similar. For her, dissociating is daydreaming ‘upgraded’. That’s why she calls it ‘Imagining’ (like I said a couple chapters back, this’ll come up again later).
> 
> The paraglider Penny comes up with is essentially the paraglider from _Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild_. I have no idea if it’d actually work, but it seems more realistic than expecting a kid to survive free-falling while clinging to the outside of a huge metal suit as it falls apart.
> 
> I’m a born and bred New Yorker. I went to high school in the Bronx (the one that Tom Holland went undercover to in order to prep for _Homecoming_ , actually). I’m a Yankees fan. So yeah, I’m gonna rib on the Mets a little. Although I’ve got a healthy amount of respect for Mets fans. It’s the Red Sox I can’t stand. ;)  
> Still, I can’t imagine a kid like Peter/Penny growing up in Queens and NOT being a Mets fan. It’s kinda like being from the Bronx and being a Yankees fan. It’s part of the culture.
> 
> ‘Pengwing’ is based on how Benedict Cumberbatch mispronounced ‘penguin’ in a nature documentary he narrated. There’s a Graham Norton video about it. It’s hilarious.
> 
> Pineapple on pizza is absolutely blasphemous… especially from major pizza chains who serve those itty-bitty excuses for pizza slices. It ain’t a true pizza pie if it’s not 18 inches in diameter.  
> Also yes, pizza really is _serious_ business in NYC. Everyone’s got “their” pizza place they go for a slice and a can of soda for a quick bite.
> 
> There really is/was a Cultural History of Mathematics course offered at MIT (or at least there was in 2009). Yes, I looked it up. Did I mention I was detail-oriented?
> 
> IUPAC = International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
> 
> ‘Badassium’ is the initial name for Starkium, the unnamed element Tony rediscovers in IM2. I believe there’s a (MCU) comic book that mentions this somewhere. Tony’s initial term for it was rejected for fairly obvious reasons.
> 
> OH! Last thing: I’m finishing up the first arc of this story (escape from Afghanistan) and could use a plotting buddy for the second half. I’ve got a few ideas for how I want the rest of IM1 to go for this story, but if anyone has ideas or things they would like to see happen plot-wise and are willing to chat with me about it, let me know in the comments or message me on [tumblr](https://looneylizzie.tumblr.com)! School’s starting up for me this week and I want to finish the last few chapters of the first arc before I get too into plotting the second arc, so it may be a few weeks before I can really chat about it, but I’m just throwing this out there now to see if there’s any interest. :D


	9. Screw Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The suit was three-quarters of the way complete and the basic frame for Penny’s paraglider was nearly assembled when Tony screwed up and everything went wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman, who I’ve admired since first seeing him portray Jackie Robinson in _42_ , then came to adore when he was cast as T’Challa. The world is a little dimmer without him. :(
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains mentions of torture, non-graphic suicidal thoughts and (vague) suicidal ideation. It’s only briefly mentioned, but if that sort of thing is triggering for you, you may want to skip the second half of Yinsen’s POV.
> 
> Also, sorry for the short chapter. I tried to add more, but… you’ll see why I ended it where I did. ;)

For a man who insisted that he shouldn’t or couldn’t be a parent, Yinsen thought Tony Stark was turning out to be a pretty good one to Penny.

Not that Yinsen intended to tell Stark that. At least, not yet.

As he’d expected, Penny and Stark had taken to each other like ducks to water. They found comfort in each other’s presence, not to mention the intellectual connection they’d formed. It wasn’t long after they’d discovered that Penny was much, _much_ smarter than the average six-year-old that Yinsen struggled to understand some of the more technical conversations they had while they worked. Stark may have been explaining a concept, but there was no doubt that Penny would pick it up faster than Yinsen could.

Which was fine by Yinsen. He was more than content to sit back and listen to Stark talk and watch Penny sign as they went back and forth over a surprisingly wide variety of topics. It was enjoyable, watching them bond.

He doubted either of them could see just how quickly and easily they’d fallen into parent/child roles, and in a way that could not be duplicated. They were comfortable in each other’s space in a way that could only be described as familial.

Penny kept Yinsen at a distance for fairly obvious reasons, but even Stark preferred more personal space between them than he did with Penny. They unconsciously gravitated towards each other, and it wasn’t unusual for Yinsen to observe them trading glances when things were quiet, a move clearly meant to reassure them that the other was okay.

That wasn’t to say they didn’t ‘check in’ with Yinsen at all… just not anywhere near as frequently.

Stark was particularly protective, his concern palpable yet restrained, as he seemed to continually clamp down on the urge to mother hen Penny at every turn. He likely wasn’t even aware he was doing it, his facial expressions often wavering from worried to unsure, like he was internally debating his next move.

Yinsen found that particularly amusing. Tony Stark; billionaire, genius, engineer, military contractor, the Merchant of Death… self-conscious and hesitant because of a little girl.

Then she’d smile at him and the man would practically _melt._

Needless to say, Penny Parker had Tony Stark wrapped around her little finger. Although she was just as attached, if the implicit trust in her eye when she looked at Stark said anything.

Yinsen wasn’t jealous. He really, truly wasn’t. It was heartwarming. But at the same time, it reminded him of a time long past, of people he would never get back.

It was hard enough interacting with the man who made the weapons that killed his family, but every interaction with Penny was a painful reminder of his own daughter, Amina. Of his son, Omar. Of his wife, Fatima. Of Gulmira. Of his home.

His home, the one the Ten Rings burst into in the middle of the night. His family, who the Ten Rings dragged out of their beds, lined up in front of Yinsen and shot one by one, ignoring his begging and pleading as they held him back — as they forced him to watch. Then the Ten Rings left their bodies behind, forcibly dragging Yinsen with them, laughing when they blew his home up with Stark weapons.

They’d kidnapped him because they’d needed a doctor. Not for Stark, but another man — he’d never learned the man’s name. Yinsen had been dumped in the same room he’d been in for, by his estimate, six months and was told to treat the sick and injured man or die like his family.

At the time, Yinsen thought that his new patient had been like Stark — a fellow captive. So he’d agreed, despite his grief. He was a doctor. Saving lives was what he did. It was all he’d had left to live for.

Somehow, he’d managed to bring the man back to good health, only to learn that he was actually a member of the Ten Rings himself. One powerful enough to be worth saving.

Yinsen wished he’d refused from the beginning. Then he’d be with his family rather than helping a terrorist organization.

There’d been others he’d treated before Stark and just like the billionaire, they’d all been captives. Most of his work involved fixing them up after particularly brutal torture sessions. In the end, they were all killed anyway.

He’d reached the end of his rope when Stark was brought in.

He would never admit it, but Yinsen had seriously considered not saving him. Every likely outcome made it seem like death would have been a mercy. There were a million ways the surgery Yinsen performed on him could’ve gone wrong, not to mention the incredibly high risk of infection due to his recovery taking place in an un-sanitized _cave_. One little “mistake” and Stark’s heart would’ve given out before he’d ever woken up.

Then he’d realized that if Stark knew that his weapons were in the hands of the Ten Rings, then he’d never have been kidnapped. And if he really had been in the dark, then Yinsen wanted the man to know what his most loyal customers were doing with his weapons and do something about it. Because Yinsen didn’t want another family to suffer at the Ten Rings’ hands the way he had.

And so he’d saved Stark.

Yinsen hadn’t been surprised when the man had come up with an escape plan. The fact that he wanted Yinsen to join him was expected. The fact that he was so intensely against leaving him behind wasn’t. He’d thought for sure that Stark would agree to leaving Yinsen behind if it meant getting Penny out, but his “dying is not your responsibility” argument showed just how fiercely he was against the idea.

If anything, it was all the proof Yinsen needed that Stark was willing to live for Penny. Yinsen… wasn’t.

As much as he wanted to help Penny — as much as he cared for her — he knew that she couldn’t be the reason he got out of bed in the morning. Caring for her, protecting her… all it would do was remind him of his family and make him more miserable than he already was. He wouldn’t be enough for her — he couldn’t make her happy. Not like Stark could.

But he was willing to die for her. If he was going to die anyway, better for Penny than anyone else. At least then it would make his death meaningful.

Even if all three of them successfully managed to escape, Yinsen was tired. Hopeless and heartbroken. He didn’t have a life to go back to and he couldn’t imagine building a new one. He didn’t _want_ to.

He wanted to be with his family again.

So he’d decided that once Penny and Stark were free, one way or another Yinsen would finally find peace.

Which was why he needed to keep his distance. It would hurt them both when he… left. No need to make it worse by getting any more attached. It wasn’t like it would be hard — Penny and Stark were focused on each other… distracting each other.

All he had to do was engage with the two as little as possible while stuck in the same room 24/7 until they escaped.

Easier said than done.

**~*~**

The suit was three-quarters of the way complete and the basic frame for Penny’s paraglider was nearly assembled when Tony screwed up and everything went wrong.

Granted, things were already wrong, but compared to his first few weeks in captivity, having Penny around made things bearable. Tony’s focus shifted between the suit and Penny, giving him little time to think about his own predicament. From the chronic pain in his chest to the constant terror that threatened to overwhelm him — especially whenever they had to interact with the Ten Rings’ goons.

Before Penny, their captors rarely interacted with Tony and Yinsen, except to bring them supplies every few days. It was inconsistent — likely so they couldn’t keep track of how much time was passing — and it forced them to ration what little they were given so they wouldn’t run out before new supplies were provided.

After Mini-boss ‘allowed’ Penny to stay with Tony and Yinsen, the visits increased with no indication as to why. Sometimes a couple of guys would enter the room for no other reason than to stroll around the room for an hour while they worked, openly leering at Penny, then laughing at Tony. Yinsen refused to translate their taunts and jeers, something that Tony was almost grateful for, given the tightness in Yinsen’s expression whenever the goons spoke. Part of Tony wanted to know, while another part was relieved to be spared the brunt of their verbal assault. Tone and facial expressions got the message across, but not understanding the words dulled the effect.

Of course, every visit was designed to continue to terrorize Penny. Each and every time she latched onto Tony’s clothing somehow, sticking close and hiding behind him if possible. It was something the goons found particularly amusing and never failed to start up a new round of teasing… usually complete with provocative hand gestures.

All three of the captives did their best to ignore the goons. It was hard, no doubt, and by the time they cleared out all three of them tended to be shaking from the effort of holding it together. For Tony and Yinsen, it was anger, but for Penny, it was fear. She’d dissociated the first few times it happened, but eventually she seemed to trust that nothing would happen to her as long as Tony and Yinsen were present.

It was a particularly unpleasant part of their routine, but they dealt with it, even as the taunts, jeers and gestures escalated with each visit. It wasn’t until they put a gun to Yinsen’s head and forced him to translate their horrible, awful words that Tony made a mistake.

He hadn’t lashed out at the goons. He’d kept his composure while imagining the best way to castrate them, letting Penny hold his hand while typing one handed. He’d even managed to stay calm after they left, pushing down his fury in the time it took for Penny’s breathing to even out.

It wasn’t until she finally let go of him and moved to sit on his cot that he finally snapped. And that was when things went wrong.

His mistake was to take his anger out on their equipment and several vital materials not easily replaced using a hammer.

“Stark!” Yinsen’s yelling finally broke through his rage after several minutes of his rampage. “Calm yourself, Stark! I understand your anger but you are scaring Penny.”

That, of course, instantly brought Tony to a stop. He dropped the hammer and took a shuddering breath, stepping back from the dented worktable, now littered with broken parts. One glance at the soldering iron and he knew it wasn’t salvageable. Not in a stupid cave.

Not that he cared in the moment. Once his racing thoughts calmed, he turned to see Yinsen standing between him and Penny, expression hard but hands held up in a nonthreatening position. Behind him, Penny was curled up in a tiny ball, a blanket wrapped around her while her eyes stared at Tony, large and afraid.

Afraid of him.

Tony cursed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, rubbing a hand down his face and dragging himself over to the cooking fire — and thus keeping his distance from Penny — and falling onto one of the chairs. “I shouldn’t’ve— That was stupid,” he stated bluntly.

“Yes,” Yinsen said, the anger in his eyes making it clear that he wasn’t about to pull any punches. “Stupid and foolish. Do you realize what you’ve done?” he hissed.

“I know,” Tony said miserably, eyes drifting over to Penny, who met his gaze with remarkable ease. “I’m sorry I scared you, Penguin.”

The kid reminded him of her strength when she sighed in relief and somehow managed a slight upward tick of her lips. _‘O-K. I K-N-O-W.’_ She didn’t need to clarify what exactly it was that she knew. Tony understood. They both did.

Before Tony could say something else to reassure her, Yinsen cut in. “That is not what I meant!” he snapped. “Look at the damage! They will not let this go unpunished.”

Tony’s eyes widened as adrenaline shot through his system for a second time, dread pooling in his gut. He’d screwed up. He’d screwed up despite _knowing_ who would be paying for it.

Then the doors opened, and Tony shot to his feet, wanting to run to Penny but afraid of risking getting either of them shot.

Mini-boss entered, the smug expression on his face sending chills down his spine as he sauntered over to the worktable to examine the damage. Then he turned back to the goons, nodding for one to come over to collect what Tony had just destroyed before turning to the engineer. He smiled smugly, then said something that Yinsen was quick to translate.

“We warned you.”

“No,” Tony croaked, ignoring the goons with guns and rushing past Mini-boss to physically separate Penny from the man who went to grab her. His heart was racing and it felt like his blood had turned to ice. His brain felt numb and dumb, unable to process more than _Penny! Danger! Protect! No! Stop!_ “No!” he cried, unable to hide the terror and desperation in his voice. “Don’t touch her!”

He wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but he somehow managed to pull Penny away from the goon, dragging her back behind him. Distantly, he noted that she was breathing heavily and whimpering, and Tony hated himself for being the cause.

There was shouting, a cacophony of voices speaking in a language he didn’t understand, one voice more recognizable than the rest. Tony barely had a chance to note that Yinsen was yelling and fighting against the two goons restraining him before Tony took a punch to the stomach that had him doubled over. The butt of a gun was slammed into his forehead a second later, hard enough to make him see stars, effectively knocking him to the ground. Arms wrapped around his chest — Penny clutching him tightly as hands attempted to pry her away from him.

Tony tried to protect her with his body, taking several more hits to his sides, back, shoulders and head. But in the end, it wasn’t enough, and the hands managed to pry a sobbing Penny away from him.

“NO! NO!” he desperately screamed while fighting to reach Penny. “Don’t hurt her! Leave her alone! It’s my fault! Hurt me! Please!” Tony begged, his voice cracking. “Penny! Penny! PENNY!” he cried over and over again as she was dragged from the room, his pleas falling on deaf ears.

Just before Penny disappeared from view, Tony caught her eyes, silently begging for his help as she uselessly reached for him. _Him_.

Then she was gone, and Tony’s rage took over for a second time. He was cursing and spitting and fighting back harder than ever, completely ignoring every hit to his already battered body, too desperate to care.

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU! I’M GONNA BURN EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU UNTIL YOU’RE NOTHING BUT ASH!” he bellowed. But his threat had no effect, and it took punch to the throat to get him to quiet — the final straw that had him on the ground and gasping for air, unable to fight back anymore. There was one last kick to his ribs, then Tony blinked and the Ten Rings were gone, the room silent except for both he and Yinsen’s heavy breathing.

He’d failed her. He’d screwed up and now Penny was gone — taken and back in the hands of the men who’d used and abused her for their own sick desires.

Men who would no doubt do it again.

The very thought had him gagging, then puking on the floor between sobs.

He hadn’t even realized he was crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry. *hides*


	10. Mr. Red Droid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still, his first priority was Penny, so as soon as the doors slammed shut Tony rushed forward, practically sliding on his knees to Penny’s side like she was home plate. His hands were trembling as they reached out, desperate to hold her, but unsure if he should. After a second, he opted to hold one of her hands, her chilly fingers sending goosebumps up his arm. His other hand gently cupped her cheek, reassuring himself that she was actually back.
> 
> “Penny?” he asked, when he realized her eyes were open, voice cracking halfway through the word. “It’s okay, kid. You’re okay now. We’ve got you. Yinsen and I are gonna take care of you, alright?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off: This story has surpassed 10,000 hits, folks!! I honestly never expected any of my stories to reach this point and am over the moon with the response I’ve gotten! I can’t thank you all enough for reading, kudos-ing, subscribing, bookmarking or reviewing this story!! I’ve never been so motivated to write so consistently for a story before — _you_ keep me writing and pushing Penny’s story along every week. Thank you, _thank you_!
> 
> Second of all: I’m only _kinda_ sorry about that cliffhanger, to be perfectly honest. I wrote that last scene before I even finished writing chapter three, so I was super excited to finally post it. ~~Your reactions made it _so_ worth the wait. ;)~~
> 
> Third of all: TW for (very, very vague) allusions to/mention of sexual assault of a child.
> 
> While this story does deal with the aftermath of rape/sexual assault, it’s not the main focus for Penny _at this point_ (so if it feels like I’m glossing over it right now, it’s ‘cause I am). She’s currently in survival mode and, quite frankly, kinda has bigger problems at the moment (like, y’know, escaping). There’s a reason why I’ve chosen dissociating as one of her primary coping mechanisms. 
> 
> The stuff that she _is_ processing has only really begun because she’s starting to feel safe with Tony. Once they’ve escaped and she truly feels safe again, the psychological trauma is gonna hit _hard_ (but not graphically).
> 
> However, I can assure you that this chapter and the last is probably the darkest this story/series will ever get. Everything else will be in line with canon, and Penny will for the most part be a limited witness until she’s much, much older. It’s all dealing with the aftermath from now on.
> 
> Thankfully, moving forward she’ll have Tony and lots of other support to help her heal. This fic is way more hurt/comfort than whump, I promise!

_As soon as the Bad Men took her away, Penny started imagining._

_This time, there was a droid like C-3PO, except red instead of gold and there was a real man inside. She didn’t know how she knew there was a man inside, other than the fact that he sounded a lot like Mr. Stark._

_This time, the red droid was the one to rescue Penny from the Imperial Forces._

_He got to her faster than Han Solo, Luke or Leia ever had._

**~*~**

Tony had no way of knowing how long it had been since the Ten Rings had taken Penny.

It was agonizing, and for once it wasn’t because of physical pain.

He was vaguely aware that he was hurt — Yinsen had mentioned something about potentially fractured ribs, a few cuts that needed bandaging and bruising around his throat — but he didn’t really care much. He could only focus enough to follow the doctor’s instructions and breathe carefully. Between his ribs, reduced lung capacity due to the reactor in his chest, and slight swelling in his throat, there were a lot of things in the way of his breathing normally.

Tony didn’t have the heart to tell him that the only reason he couldn’t breathe was because Penny had been taken.

All he could do was sit and stare at the cave wall and try not to let the pain swallow him whole.

**~*~**

_Mr. Red Droid brought Penny to his planet. It was warm and peaceful. The colors were so bright they almost hurt her eyes, but she didn’t care. Anything was better than the dark browns and blacks that covered every inch of the cave… and herself._

_There were other droids there. Smaller ones, like R2-D2._

_They were excited to meet her._

**~*~**

“You are angry,” Yinsen said as he picked up Tony’s uneaten bowl of food.

Tony didn’t bother to respond. Just like he had every time Yinsen had tried to talk to him.

Which wasn’t very often. He was right in saying that Tony was angry, but then again, Yinsen was pretty pissed as well.

At least half of it was at Tony. The other man blamed him and it was well deserved.

Because it _was_ Tony’s fault.

**~*~**

_Penny taught Mr. Red Droid’s smaller droids how to play baseball. The sun shone down brightly on the grassy field where they had a picnic lunch._

_One of the droids picked flowers and Penny weaved them into a crown for Mr. Red Droid as a thank you for rescuing her._

**~*~**

“Stark, you must work,” Yinsen said firmly, glancing up at the camera in the corner.

“Not until she’s back,” Tony replied stubbornly.

The suit wasn’t ready yet, and he and Yinsen didn’t stand a chance without it. Not a single plan he came up with would work — the odds were just too low and Tony couldn’t risk it. All they could do was wait.

The Ten Rings had replaced the equipment Tony had destroyed, then left with the order for him to continue building their Jericho. Tony refused. He wasn’t going to even _pretend_ to be helping them until Penny was back with them — with _him_ — and safe once again.

Yinsen shook his head. “If you do not work, they will punish her further.”

“What else could they possibly do to her that would hurt me?” he returned. “They took her away… I know what they’re doing… If they kill her, I won’t lift a finger for them and they know it.”

“They could make you watch.”

The trembling in his hands disappeared as his fear dissolved into a rage that burned cold. He knew he could stoke the flames back to life when the time came… when he could reduce them to absolutely nothing.

**~*~**

_Penny fell into one of the droids while playing and hit her forehead. Mr. Red Droid didn’t get mad at her for hurting his creation. Instead, when she realized what she’d done and started to cry, he picked her up and hugged her, promising that he wasn’t mad and asking if she was alright._

_Then he cleaned and bandaged the bleeding cut, taking the time to brush her hair afterwards._

_He promised her that one day she wouldn’t have to fight the Empire anymore. And when that day came, she could live with him and the droids forever._

_Like a family._

**~*~**

Raza twisted his ring around his finger as he watched Stark stare at the door to the cell on the security feed, contemplating his next move.

Taking the girl had been an effective punishment for Stark’s destruction…perhaps _too_ effective. The weapons designer hadn’t so much as touched his worktable since taking the girl, and was unlikely to again until she was returned once more. He had not expected Stark to completely shut down the way he had, which, while beneficial intelligence to have, had its detriments.

For one, it meant getting Stark to cooperate was both easier and harder. Easier in the sense that they could likely get him to do _anything_ for the child. Harder in the sense that to get him to _do_ anything would require a lot more attention and involvement. Threats meant nothing if they could not follow through, and now that they had… based on Stark’s reaction, separation was clearly not going to cut it.

Stark’s priorities had shifted from self-preservation to protection on an unanticipated level and that could prove dangerous.

Raza knew first-hand the dangers of caging a desperate parent separated from their child. Cage them together, however, and cooperation was possible.

Which meant removing the child from the equation was no longer possible. Not until they were sure Stark could be removed as well.

The real question, however, was what Stark’s strengthened attachment to the child would do to his willingness to risk an escape attempt. Raza had no doubt Stark had plans in the works. The child had likely derailed them when introduced, but now? Stane had warned him that keeping Stark alive was a risk, that the longer they waited to put a bullet in his brain the more likely it was for the genius to find a way out the way he had multiple times before.

Stane was smarter than Raza had given the businessman credit for. His refusal to follow their demands for higher compensation for Stark’s death had less to do with being unwilling to pay and more to do with his confidence that one way or another, the Ten Rings would be forced to kill Stark anyway in order to prevent him from escaping.

And if Stark were to escape? Well, Stane could guarantee the Ten Rings’ cooperation in finishing the job because it was in their best interests to see the man dead now. He knew too much.

Raza huffed. It felt like the noose was tightening and it was only a matter of time before something needed to be done. Stane wouldn’t pay, so they needed Stark to finish the Jericho missile in order to make the whole endeavor to kill the prince worth more than just the trinkets Stane offered.

At the moment the child was motivation for Stark to stay and cooperate. What Raza needed was motivation for Stark to _work faster._ Fast enough that he wouldn’t have time to even consider possible escape attempts.

Or it would make him desperate and more likely to make a mistake if he were to attempt to escape. A mistake that would prove costly.

Separating the child and Stark wasn’t an option, but _threatening_ to do so…

He turned and called for his men to get the camera. There was one more thing to do before returning the child to Stark. She would pass along his warning.

**~*~**

_When night came, Mr. Red Droid let Penny stay at his house. He tucked her in and told her stories until she drifted off to sleep._

_When she woke up, everything hurt._

**~*~**

Penny woke up in a familiar but empty room. A room she _hated_.

She quickly sat up, dragging her aching body to the nearest wall and leaning against the cold stone. It made her shiver, but at least when she closed her eyes she didn’t feel ghostly hands holding her down. She pulled her knees close to her chest and hid her face while she cried as silently as she could, waiting for when they would come to her again.

She tried not to think about Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen. Waking up alone reminded her of what she’d learned after the last time she’d tried to escape: that there was no escape. Leaving with Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen was just an imagination. Nothing else.

The door opened and Penny immediately shrank back into the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible and forcing her gaze to stay focused on the floor, no matter how much she wanted to look up and see who’s turn it was to hurt her. They didn’t like it when she looked at them.

A hand grabbed her chin and she just about jumped out of her skin when it forced her to look up at the intruder. It was a bald man she’d seen before, but he hadn’t had a turn yet. He was different than the others, she knew. Baddest of the Bad Men — the one in charge.

His dark, empty eyes met hers and it felt like she was staring into a black hole. It scared her more than she thought possible.

Without breaking eye contact, he called something over his shoulder and the door opened again, this time bringing two more men — one with a camera on a tripod. Immediately, her heart sank. _These_ Bad Men hadn’t taken videos of her yet, but others had. Enough for her to know that she didn’t like it one bit.

She shook her head reflexively when she saw the camera, only for the man to shush her. “Be calm, child,” he said in an almost reassuring tone. It caught her by surprise, because none of the others had spoken to her in English before. “It is only to show your pretty face to potential buyers. Stark is working too slowly to justify the cost of keeping you much longer. If he does not begin to show significant progress in the next week, we will have to go ahead with a buyer.”

Penny bit back a sob and closed her eyes, focusing on imagining as hard as she could until everyone left again.

**~*~**

Tony was working on a small, concealable, single-use taser (that he was trying to make double-use) for Penny when the Ten Rings finally — _finally_ — returned with Penny. They just dumped her in the middle of the room without a word — although the warning look on Mini-boss’ face said more than enough.

Tony was on thin ice.

They needed to escape. And soon.

Still, his first priority was Penny, so as soon as the doors slammed shut Tony rushed forward, practically sliding on his knees to Penny’s side like she was home plate. His hands were trembling as they reached out, desperate to hold her, but unsure if he should. After a second, he opted to hold one of her hands, her chilly fingers sending goosebumps up his arm. His other hand gently cupped her cheek, reassuring himself that she was actually back.

“Penny?” he asked, when he realized her eyes were open, voice cracking halfway through the word. “It’s okay, kid. You’re okay now. We’ve got you. Yinsen and I are gonna take care of you, alright?”

Surprisingly, she was awake. Unsurprisingly, he got no response. The glazed look in her eye was to be expected, really. They had no idea what the Ten Rings had done to her, but odds were she’d had a fairly good reason to dissociate.

Tony noted that Yinsen had kneeled down on Penny’s other side, two fingers gently pressing against her neck to check her pulse. The simple act drew his attention to her physical state. Once again, she was covered in bruises, but Tony’s heart stuttered at the purplish rings around her neck and forearms. He wanted to gag when he realized that the bruises had distinct finger marks.

There was a gash on her forehead and a trail of blood going down the side of her face and into her matted hair. The flow was sluggish, although given the amount of dried blood surrounding it, it had been much heavier at first.

Aside from the new layer of dirt Penny was covered in, Tony couldn’t see any more injuries. He hoped it was true.

“That cut needs stitches,” Yinsen murmured. “And I should examine her again.” He paused and turned to Tony. “It would probably be better to do so while she is still dissociating,” he said carefully. The way he was looking at Tony, it was obvious he was waiting for Tony to give the final say.

Tony clenched his jaw and inhaled deeply through his nose. On one hand, he didn’t want to take any more choices away from Penny than she’d already had. On the other hand, Yinsen had a point. It’d likely be less traumatic if they got it over with before she was even aware of it. “Yeah, probably a good idea,” he croaked, a lump in his throat returning full force. Before Yinsen could respond, he quickly scooped the kid up and gently placed her down on his cot, quickly settling down on the ground by her head, hand retaking hers without a thought.

Yinsen appeared, med kit in hand, worried eyes catching his. “Will you be able to stay?”

He nodded once. “I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

An approving expression crossed Yinsen’s face before smoothing out into something cool and professional.

Tony didn’t pay attention to what Yinsen was doing after that. Instead, he just focused on Penny, forcing the self-deprecating thoughts away by talking to her. “Yinsen’s checking you over really quick, Pen. But I’m staying right here. I’m not going anywhere, promise. I’m just gonna hold your hand and tell you a story about the bots, since you seem to like those so much. Although I’m starting to run out of funny stories, y’know. I’m gonna have to introduce you to ‘em. I’m sure you’ll get along like a house on fire. Literally. I’ll need to teach DUM-E how to _actually_ use a fire extinguisher this time. And no, accidentally blowing one up in my dorm room does not count as proper fire safety protocol. Anyway, so there was this time I was hungov— I mean sick — and the bots put me to ‘bed’ in their charging stations…”

As he talked, Tony’s hand drifted up and began stroking Penny’s hair on the not-bloody side, fingers moving of their own accord and gently working through the tangled, greasy mess that likely hadn’t seen shampoo or a brush in months.

Yinsen finished examining her fairly quickly and by the time Tony reached the end of the story he’d moved to the gash on her head. As soon as he’d started to clean the wound, Penny sat up, but didn’t respond to them otherwise. Yinsen moved to guide her back down, but Tony shook his head. “Nightmares, remember?”

“She’s not asleep,” Yinsen pointed out.

“So?” Tony shot back. “She doesn’t move at all when she’s like this _except_ to sit up if she’s laying down. You don’t think that means something?”

“Something needs to support her head, Stark. It helps keep her still.”

Tony thought for a minute, then gave in to the feeling he’d had from the second he’d seen Penny again. In one fluid movement, he scooped Penny up and held her sitting up in his lap, her head resting against his shoulder. One hand still held hers while the other loosely looped around her stomach to keep her in place. Once she was settled, he gave Yinsen a challenging look. “This good?”

Yinsen’s perplexed expression quickly morphed into a poorly suppressed smile. He just nodded and turned back to their meager box of medical supplies (that had for the most part been used by Tony).

“Doc’s nearly done, Little Miss Genius. Then it’ll be all over. You’re safe again. So if you want to come back to us, that’d be really awesome. I know you’re scared. That’s okay, ‘cause I am too. And I’m sorry, kiddo. I’m so, _so_ sorry. I promised to protect you and I failed. It’s all my fault,” he practically babbled in her ear, determinedly not looking at Yinsen.

“Stark…” the other man warned, but Tony cut him off.

“Nope. We’re not getting into this. I screwed up and the kid got hurt. That’s it. Full stop. I made a promise and I couldn’t keep it and she had to pay for it and that’s not— that’s not…,” he trailed off, blinking rapidly to fight off the prickling feeling in his eyes. “I need to— I have to tell her— We have to get her out, Yinsen,” he stuttered, his tone growing increasingly miserable with each word. His shoulders slumped in defeat because he didn’t know how to express everything he was feeling. How afraid he was of failing to protect her a second time but determined to keep trying, no matter what.

“We will,” Yinsen said calmly. “We’re nearly done. Soon, you’ll be on your way home.”

“We’ll _all_ be on our way home,” Tony corrected, then looked down at Penny’s faraway expression. “And I’ll make sure to find you a good one, Penguin. Then you can show us around Queens, like you said. We’ll go to the zoo and everything. As soon as we get out of here, I’m gonna buy you the biggest stuffed penguin I can find. And pizza. All the pizza you can eat. Well, maybe the pizza first. I can’t shop on an empty stomach. I get all cranky and my driver has to put up with it and he’s got high blood pressure as it is… I gotta get that guy to a cardiologist at some point.”

At some point in Tony’s continuing rambles, Yinsen finished up and moved on to do something else — Tony wasn’t paying attention. Tony shifted the kid so that she was resting a little more comfortably in his lap and subconsciously started rocking her side to side, as if that would either bring her back to reality or to just help her doze off.

For a long time, they stayed that way; Penny limp in his arms while her mind was somewhere else, Tony holding her and rambling about the most mundane things he couldn’t wait to do once he was home again in order to avoid the dark, spiraling thoughts that had taken over when Penny had been taken.

Tony’s talking came to an abrupt halt when he felt Penny’s hand squeeze one of his fingers, and he looked down to see her slowly blinking, eyes growing alert once more. “Penny!” he breathed, and it took everything he had to keep his hold on her loose and open. The last thing he wanted was for her to come back to her senses only to freak out again because Tony hadn’t been able to resist the urge to just _hold_ the kid, just to be sure he wasn’t dreaming.

For a moment, Penny tensed, her gaze drifting from his face down to his arms and back up again. The soft smile she gave him was a bit like watching the sun rise and warmed him from head to toe. Slowly, gently, he hugged her a little closer to his chest, and sighed. “I’m so glad you’re back, Pen.”

When her smile fell, Tony wished he hadn’t said anything. It was like he’d dumped a bucket of cold water on her, because in seconds her eyes were tearing up. She moved as though to cover her face with her hands, only to surprise Tony when her hands latched onto his shirt and she buried her face in the crook of his neck and just started sobbing hard enough for her whole body to shake.

He felt a fleeting sense of accomplishment because Penny breaking down in his arms had to be a sign that she fully trusted him (even though he’d failed and she had no reason to). It didn’t last long, however, and was quickly replaced by the aching sadness that had him on the verge of tears once more.

“I’m sorry, _bambina_ ,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m _so_ sorry.” He sniffed. “You’re gonna be okay. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

Tony was surprised when he felt her shaking her head against his neck. _‘No,’_ she signed with trembling fingers. _‘M-O-V-I-E. B-U-Y me S-O-O-N.’_

He froze, his insides sinking with dread. “Buyers? They took a video to send to buyers?” he whispered, horrified. If they were using Penny to keep Tony in line, then why were they looking for buyers for her?

Unless… _‘W-O-R-K S-L-O-W.’_

Tony exhaled slowly to try to maintain his composure.

“Their patience is running thin,” Yinsen supplied from across the room, his pale, terrified expression likely matching Tony’s. “We are running out of time.”

Tony cursed under his breath. “How long do you think we’ve got?” Not that they really had a way of knowing how much time was passing in the first place, but it felt like the question to ask.

_‘One W-E-E-K,’_ Penny supplied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about Penny’s dissociating bits here. Hopefully they don’t seem too weird.
> 
> I have no idea if Raza’s logic tracks there… hopefully it makes sense. I struggled with it a lot since it’s kinda convoluted and I came up with it at the last minute… I’m not all that thrilled with it.
> 
> It’s really my lame way of hurrying the plot along and provide a little more rationalization for Raza’s arbitrary 24 hour deadline from the movie. 
> 
> Official count for the end of the first arc of this story is 13-14 chapters, of which I only have the last 1-2 left to write and will hopefully finish this week. After I post that, I’ll probably be taking a few weeks off to plot and write the first few chapters of the second arc before posting again since having a bit of a buffer has been working really well for me so far.
> 
> Just curious, anyone have any favorite lines/moments from this story so far?


	11. The Last Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony had to come to a lot of conclusions during their last week in the cave. 
> 
> Most of them revolved around their actual escape plan, but a few had to do with the future. Decisions that needed to be made sooner rather than later. Decisions that couldn’t wait for him to get his feet under himself once back in Malibu. Decisions that would start fixing his mistakes.
> 
> He already had ideas for how to get his weapons out of the wrong hands and thoughts of what kind of legacy he really wanted to leave behind besides building and selling things that blew up and killed people. He’d decided he wanted his legacy to involve building things that made the world a better place. A safer place. A place he knew Penny could be happy and thrive in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MASSIVE apologies for not posting the last few weeks! Things have been a bit rough with my mental health since school started again and as I finished up the first arc of this story I lost some momentum. 
> 
> But I’m back! To make up for being gone so long, the next two chapters will be uploaded tomorrow and the day after, so ya’ll don’t have to wait long for the first part of this story to wrap up. After that, I’ll probably be gone for another few weeks as I plot out the second half of IM1 and write a few chapters so I have a buffer before posting again.
> 
> MASSIVE thank you to [savvysass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/savvysass/pseuds/savvysass), who has been helping me out with plotting and editing and just generally being enthusiastic and encouraging as I work on this story! 
> 
> Also a massive thank you to everyone who’s reviewed - you guys motivate me to keep writing, and I promise I’ll get to responding soon!

Tony was surprised when Penny suddenly did a complete 180 and essentially became the equivalent of human Velcro after she was brought back. She stayed attached to Tony’s side constantly, never leaving him alone for more than half an hour at best.

Considering how hesitant she’d been regarding physical contact before, he’d expected her to be even more skittish after being assaulted again. Not to mention how it didn’t seem to matter that it was _Tony’s_ fault that she’d gotten hurt again. She didn’t hate or resent him despite having every right to, and what had he ever done to deserve that kind of forgiveness?

It baffled him, that he’d failed her and yet she found comfort in his presence.

One would think being trapped in a room with two other people would be enough, really — it wasn’t like Tony could  _go_ anywhere — but Penny seemed to have other ideas. If Tony couldn’t hold her, or hold her hand, then she’d hold onto his shirt and follow him around like a lost puppy. When he had to use equipment too dangerous for a six-year-old to be in close vicinity to, she would retreat to sitting on Tony’s cot and anxiously watch until he said it was safe to come back.

She took every opportunity to climb in his lap if he was sitting down, and Tony had taken to sleeping with his back leaned against the wall because Penny would doze off with her ear pressed against his chest, right beside the arc reactor and over his heart. The sound of his heartbeat soothed her like nothing else could, and who was Tony to take that away from her?

And if he slept better with her curled up in his arms, no matter how uncomfortable the position, well… Tony wasn’t going to mention it. It was reassuring to know that she was close by, that he could protect her with his own body if he needed to. And when he couldn’t, he felt better knowing that she always carried the pen-sized taser he’d whipped up in an hour out of a few spare parts tucked in one of her duct-taped socks at all times. It was just insurance in case she needed it while they were escaping. 

Some part of him wanted to be… concerned about her attachment to him. He was terrified of letting her down again and he certainly didn’t deserve her forgiveness, but his concern was overwhelmingly overridden by the part that was just as anxious to have the kid close by as she was. Before long, Tony was just… used to it. 

Besides, it was a sign of trust that Tony wasn’t going to take for granted.

Nevertheless, Tony had to come to a lot of conclusions during their last week in the cave. 

Most of them revolved around their actual escape plan, but a few had to do with the future. Decisions that needed to be made sooner rather than later. Decisions that couldn’t wait for him to get his feet under himself once back in Malibu. Decisions that would start fixing his mistakes.

He already had ideas for how to get his weapons out of the wrong hands and thoughts of what kind of legacy he really wanted to leave behind besides building and selling things that blew up and killed people. He’d decided he wanted his legacy to involve building things that made the world a better place. A safer place. A place he knew Penny could be happy and thrive in.

And other kids, of course.

Like Yinsen’s — he assumed. The man had never actually stated that he had children outright. He’d mentioned a family, but otherwise he’d been tight-lipped about them since Tony had first asked about them. But with their time in captivity (hopefully) coming to an end, he kind of wanted to know more about them… just in case.

“Your family,” Tony started while the doctor was making them breakfast the “morning” after Penny’s return, hoping to prompt him to reveal a little bit more than where they were from. “Do you think it’ll be hard to find them, once we’re out of here?”

Yinsen stiffened for a second, then relaxed and started serving up three bowls of rice and beans. “No. They are safe where they are, so I am not worried about seeing them again.”

“In… Gulmira, was it? What’s it like?” Tony asked. “Aside from being a nice place.”

The other man hummed a little as he placed both Tony and Penny’s bowls beside him on his cot before retreating to his own. Tony quickly picked up his serving and carefully tried to eat around Penny, who was curled up in his lap and miraculously still fast asleep. “It is small. I’d recently started a small clinic there before…” He paused and cleared his throat. “It was mostly for treating minor infections and injuries, nothing too fancy, but was a way for me to give back to the community that raised me after spending many years abroad, first for my education, then my career.”

Tony wasn’t particularly surprised by the doctor’s words. He’d already known that Yinsen was an extremely smart and talented surgeon, and his familiarity with so many languages meant him spending so much of his life abroad a natural conclusion to make.

“Besides,” Yinsen continued, “I’d missed my wife and children. Fatima and I had agreed to raise our children there, to stay close to our parents and siblings. I was fortunate enough to be able to come home frequently, but there are so many milestones a parent can miss before it becomes too much.”

Privately, Tony disagreed. Howard hadn’t seemed to mind missing Tony’s milestones in the least. “Sounds like you were a pretty good father, leaving your career like that,” Tony mused. “What were your kids like?”

Yinsen’s smile was softer than Tony had ever seen before. “My son Omar… he’s reserved, like me. Very artistic though. Got that from his mother.” He chuckled. “On the other hand, I believe the best word to describe my daughter Amina would be a spitfire. Smart, opinionated, outspoken, and quite the troublemaker.” His eyes drifted to the kid in Tony’s lap. “I see her in Penny sometimes.”

“I’m sorry,” Tony murmured.

The doctor sighed. “It is not your fault, Stark. And no matter how much I miss them, I am glad they are not here.”

Tony looked down at Penny and shifted her so she was slightly more secure in his lap. “Yeah, no kid deserves to go through…” he paused as he realized something that had the potential to derail their plans. “Crap.”

Yinsen’s gaze snapped up to Tony’s with a flash of alarm. “What?”

“What if there are more kids here?” Tony whispered. “I mean, the Ten Rings were definitely using Penny as leverage, but if that’s all they needed a kid for, why take one from New York City? It’s like you said: she’s from the U.S., so she’s more valuable to buyers. They were just taking advantage of an opportunity and used who they already had. And since they’re planning on _selling_ her in a week, it’s probably a safe bet to add child trafficking to the Ten Rings’ already deplorable résumé.”

Yinsen’s eyes widened in realization. “And if there _are_ others… we can’t just leave them. Not with the amount of destruction our escape will cause.”

Tony cursed under his breath. Things suddenly had the potential to get a lot more complicated. He had no idea how they were supposed to escape if there were other children who needed rescuing as well .

A tap on Tony’s arm startled him, drawing his attention to Penny, who had apparently woken up and was looking up at him with a somber expression. _’No M-O-R-E,’_ she signed. _’T-H-E-Y no L-I-K-E. S-E-N-D B-A-C-K.’_

“Send back?” Tony asked, his brain already jumping to conclusions. “You mean there were others, but they sent them somewhere else?”

Penny nodded. _‘Yes. B-A-C-K T-O…’_ she paused, eyebrows furrowed as she seemed to struggle to find the right word. _‘O-T-H-E-R-S.’_

“Other men like… them,” he concluded, gesturing to the door. When she nodded, he sighed. 

Yinsen piped up from where he’d been watching them. “And they had more children besides you? Children they took like they took you?” Another nod. 

Tony took a deep breath, hating his next question but for the first time he felt like she’d actually tell him. “How did you get here, Penny?”

She pursed her lips and stared at her feet for a long time before responding, her fingers shaking as she signed. _‘Mommy, Daddy D-E-D L-A-S-T Y-E-A-R. Uncle Ben, Aunt May D-E-D J-U-N-E. N-E-W daddy S-K-I-P.’_

“You went to a foster home?” Tony asked, his heart aching for the kid. “And your foster father’s name was Skip?” She nodded, and Tony scoffed. “Skip’s a stupid name.”

That coaxed a small smile from her, only for it to disappear in a flash. _'S-K-I-P B-A-D L-I-K-E them,’_ she gestured to the door for the last word. _‘T-H-E-N G-I-V-E me O-T-H-E-R M-A-N.’_

Tony had to fight back the urge to either throw something or vomit. “Skip gave you to… them?” he asked, sticking with gave rather than sold. He didn’t want her to start thinking she was nothing more than property to be bought and sold. Not more than she already did thanks to their captors’ little film session.

_‘No. Them L-A-T-E-R,’_ Penny signed with a sigh. 

The pieces clicked in place. “How many others were there?” he asked carefully.

‘Six.’

Tony’s heart stuttered. Six. He was afraid of asking for clarification. Was it six men who raped her? Or six traffickers who used her and let others use her the way the Ten Rings had? Just how many people had taken advantage of a defenseless little kid because they could?

What kind of person took pleasure from hurting innocent kids? 

It made him sick. Kids were supposed to trust adults to keep them safe, and Penny had had that trust violated time and time again. The fact that she trusted Tony at all was a testament to her bravery. 

Not that it changed how unfair it all was. Penny didn’t deserve any of it. Her bravery shouldn’t have had to be tested so early in life. It made Tony want to scream, to hurt the people who hurt her, to do everything in his power to ensure that she never suffered again.

Anger, frustration and despair had Tony’s eyes watering, so he pulled Penny close and hugged her tightly to hide it. “I’m so sorry, Pen,” he mumbled, pressing a kiss to her hair, calmed by the reminder that she was close and safe. 

He met Yinsen’s case over her head, unsurprised to see similar emotions in Yinsen’s expression, but he pulled himself back together faster than Tony could. “Penny, do you remember what month it was when Skip…” 

_‘S-E-P-T-E-M-B-U-R. B-E-F-O-R S-C-O-O-L.’_

September, before the school year started — the perfect time to disappear a foster kid without too many people asking questions. No teachers or peers to notice their disappearance, and, if moving to a new foster home had been recent, no neighbors either. The only people to worry would be the foster family and social services, and if Skip was smart enough, he’d probably been able to cover it up all too easily.

It was disgusting.

September. Last Tony knew, it was February, meaning she’d been passed around a half a dozen sickos over the course of at least six months. Probably to make her harder to trace by the time the Ten Rings got her.

Six months. Plus however long they’d been held captive by the Ten Rings.

For a little kid, that was an awfully long time. 

As much as Tony wished he could go back and erase all of it for Penny, he couldn’t. And while the Ten Rings might not have other kids to save, he could only conclude that Penny had been a victim of a child trafficking ring and that he could do something about. He didn’t say it out loud, but he mentally promised to track each and every monster who dared put their hands on his kid and destroy them just like he’d destroy the Ten Rings.

**~*~**

“Have you considered,” Yinsen said one evening after Penny had fallen asleep in Tony’s arms again, “where she will go after this?” His tone was casual, but his gaze focused on Tony in a way that made him feel like he was under a magnifying glass.

Tony pursed his lips. “Initially she’ll stay with me,” he said firmly. He’d made that decision the moment he heard that Penny’s foster father was the reason she was in Afghanistan in the first place. There was no way Tony was going to risk Penny ending up in another home like that. “I’m responsible for her, so I’m not going to let her go until I’m sure her new home is the absolute best place for her to be.”

“What if the best place for her is with you? Forever?” Yinsen suggested mildly.

A swirl of conflicting emotions hit, temporarily preventing Tony from answering. His gut instinct was to reject the idea — an idea that he’d told himself was impossible for years. He was not the parent type — Howard had made sure of that.

But another part — the part that was growing steadily every day — was thrilled with the idea of keeping Penny. Of raising her. Of being her parent. Even if it terrified him at the same time. It was so out of left field compared to how he expected things to go, and he didn’t know how to react.

That same part also helpfully pointed out that Penny had brought out something in him that reminded him of Jarvis. Of his mother. He had been acting like Penny’s parent for a long time, and despite his failures she still seemed to trust him — to _want_ him, so was it really as impossible as it seemed?

“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered it,” Tony admitted softly. “But I don’t know if I’m best suited for the job. I’ve got no experience and no clue what I’m doing… what if I mess up again? What if I make another stupid mistake that gets her hurt? She deserves better than me.”

Yinsen sighed. “It is not a matter of who she deserves. It’s a matter of who she wants. She wants _you_ , Stark.”

“But what if I’m not what she _needs_?” Tony countered.

“Then adapt. People change. _You_ have already changed since meeting her. Perhaps Penny deserves better, but that does not mean that _you_ cannot _become_ what she needs. What she deserves. You get to choose what kind of parent you will be, and Stark,” Yinsen paused until their eyes met, the conviction in the doctor’s gaze startlingly intense. “I believe that you are capable of being a good one.”

The realization made his struggling heart stutter. It didn’t matter if he’d lived a lifestyle that wasn’t conducive to raising children before because he could _change_ his lifestyle. It didn’t matter how quickly Howard had damaged him because… because maybe he wasn’t Howard. Maybe he didn’t have to be the same kind of parent. Maybe he could be different. Maybe he could become the parent that Penny needed — he just had to figure out what that looked like.

He certainly had the resources for it. He could give her a home, food, clothing… buy her pretty much anything under the sun… get her the best education possible… 

He could care for her — he _had_ been caring for her and considering how things had progressed he thought it was fair to say that he’d at least started to figure out how to mentally and emotionally support her. 

So maybe he wasn’t the most qualified, but if he was willing to be in over his head for a little while and worked hard enough, eventually he’d learn how to swim. He swam with sharks in the business world all the time, and he came out on top. Surely parenting couldn’t be much harder. He could handle it… probably. As long as he put Penny first, then he’d be able to give her her best shot at happiness.

And yeah, he’d made mistakes — his entire life, everyone from Howard to Pepper to the media were all too happy to remind him of that fact — so many that he’d just stopped caring after a while. Everyone expected him to screw up, so why disappoint them?

But he couldn’t do that anymore. He couldn’t ignore his mistakes because his mistakes — his negligence — had hurt people — _killed_ people — and Tony couldn’t live with that. He knew he’d make mistakes in the future, he was Tony Stark, so it was inevitable, but if he stopped sitting by and doing nothing then he’d be better. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, and _that_ he could live with.

The point was, if he really _wanted_ to keep Penny in his life — to be her parent — then he could fight for it — for her — by being the kind of parent she needed. By giving her the things she needed, and what he couldn’t give, he could find elsewhere. 

“I probably won’t be all that good at first,” Tony joked, resorting to his usual brand of self-deprecating humor that really wasn’t all that funny whenever he was uncomfortable with the attention — or in this case; compliments — he was on the receiving end of.

“No parent is,” Yinsen said simply. “But as I have told you before; I believe you need each other more than you realize. Perhaps this is the reason you met, against all odds, where and when you did.”

Tony wasn’t the type to believe in fate or destiny or some higher power. But he couldn’t help but think that Yinsen was right.

He shouldn’t have survived the bomb, much less Yinsen performing surgery on him in a damp, dark, unsanitary cave. He probably shouldn’t have survived being tortured or inserting the arc reactor either, and yet… he was still alive. And if they managed to escape, well, why else would he have survived all of that if not to right his wrongs? Why else would he have met a traumatized orphan from Queens in what could pass for one of the rings of Dante’s purgatory if not to save her? Perhaps they were meant to meet. Perhaps they were meant to be family.

Penny shifted in his lap, her head coming to rest directly over his heart and he knew that taking Penny in was the right thing to do. For both of them.

He’d just have to figure out how to make it legal.

**~*~**

“Penny,” a familiar voice said as she was gently shaken awake. “Penny, it’s alright. It’s just a bad dream.” She opened her eyes and Mr. Stark was right there, staring at her with open concern until he noticed she was up. Then his entire expression softened and he smiled at her in a way that never failed to make her feel safe. Cared for. 

Already her nightmare was fading fast, but as she became more aware of her body she realized that her heart was beating too fast and her breathing was tight and she was shaking and sweating in Mr. Stark’s arms. Whatever she had been dreaming about must have been bad.

Mr. Stark squeezed Penny a little closer and she sighed deeply, resting her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and when Mr. Stark kissed her forehead it felt, for just a moment, like she was home. Like she had a family again.

Did Mr. Stark feel the same way? Penny was too afraid to ask. He probably had his own family… that he never talked about. 

Her trembling fingers began forming the letters before the more polite part of her brain could tell her it was a rude question. _‘You F-A-M-L-Y?’_

Mr. Stark blinked, then looked away, like he was thinking carefully. “Yinsen asked me the same thing,” he murmured just as Penny started to worry that she’d made him upset. She looked in the same direction he was to see that Mr. Yinsen was fast asleep on his own cot, looking very relaxed. “Before we met you. I told him I didn’t, but since then, I’m starting to think that maybe I do.”

W-H-O? she asked with a tilt of her head when he turned his head to face her.

He smiled softly. “Well, it’s not the most traditional family. My parents died a long time ago and I never had any other blood relatives — not that I know of, at least. For a long time I thought I was alone, which is why I built the bots, then J.A.R.V.I.S. Most people wouldn’t think of them as family, but I do.”

Penny nodded, because she understood. The way that Mr. Stark talked about his creations, it was clear that they weren’t just robots. They were smart like real people. Maybe they looked and acted a little different, but that didn’t make them any less alive.

“There’s my godmother, Peggy. She was around a lot when I was a kid, but I haven’t seen her in… wow, seventeen years? Not since my parents died.” He sighed sadly, then grimaced. “It didn’t go well — that’s a story for another time — but at the end of the day she’s still family.”

S-A-D, Penny replied then gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. It felt like there was more he wanted to say, but it hurt too much to think about.

Mr. Stark chuckled softly. “Thanks kid. I’ve still got my godfather, Obie though. He's been around for almost as long as I can remember. He’s been helping me run Stark Industries since my father died. I suppose he’s a bit like the weird uncle you don’t have much in common with and only talk to at family reunions. Except I have to talk to him all the time ‘cause of the company.” He sighed. “Still, he’s family and I owe him a lot.”

The way Mr. Stark sounded… Penny didn’t think he liked Mr. Obie all that much. Which she thought didn’t make for a very good family, but she supposed you didn’t have to _like_ all of your family for them to be family.

“Then there’s my best friend — more like a brother, really — from MIT; Rhodey. He’s in the Air Force and one of the best people to ever walk this Earth. He’s been putting up with my crap since I was fifteen and still sticks around, so he must like something about me. He’s smart and kind and one of the few people who’s never tried to use me for my money or brains or fame. He’s always thought I could be better, but not in a bad way. Better to myself, I guess. He doesn’t think I respect myself, but we’re not gonna get into that,” Mr. Stark said with a wave of his hand and a wink, making Penny smile.

She didn’t quite understand exactly what Mr. Stark was trying to say, but it sounded like Mr. Rhodey really cared about Mr. Stark, which made her happy. She’d never been good at making friends in school, so she’d always wondered if having a best friend was as great as it seemed. Given the look in Mr. Stark’s eye while he was talking about his friend, she thought that maybe it was.

Then Mr. Stark’s grin widened. “And because she’d kill me if I did, I can’t forget Mama Rhodes. That’s Rhodey’s mom. First met her when he dragged me to his family’s place one Thanksgiving. Took one look at me, then turned to Rhodey and said; ‘We’re keeping him’.” He snorted just as Penny giggled. “She’s the closest thing I’ll ever get to a mom after my own died. She’s the kinda mom who fusses over every little thing and complains that you haven’t been eating enough and smacks you upside the head for neglecting your health before stuffing you so full of food you can barely move.” He groaned. “What I wouldn’t give for one of her pies right now…”

Penny’s mouth watered at the mere thought of food that wasn’t rice and beans. She could hardly remember what anything else tasted like. 

Mr. Stark seemed to shake himself out of his stupor and continued speaking. “Besides my platypus and Mama Rhodes, there’s Happy and Pepper. Granted, they both work for me, but the fact that they’ve stuck around for so long has got to mean something.”

H-A-P-P-Y? Penny asked, wondering where the nickname came from. It had to be a nickname, since Mr. Stark said that was his thing and it seemed like he had them for everyone.

“No, he’s not one of the seven dwarves,” Mr. Stark said with a chuckle. “Grumpy’s probably more accurate, but ‘Happy Hogan’ sounds better than ‘Grumpy Hogan’. Plus, he’s a total teddy bear inside. He likes to pretend he isn’t, but I think it’s ‘cause he thinks it’ll make him a better bodyguard or something. He’s my personal driver, too. Not that I let him drive all that much. Most of the time he’s just trying to keep up.”

Something told Penny that Mr. Stark found that more amusing than Mr. Happy did. She rolled her eyes before encouraging Mr. Stark to continue. P-E-P-E-R?

Almost immediately Mr. Stark’s face changed, something warm and bright in his eyes reminded Penny of her parents when they talked about each other. Aunt May and Uncle Ben had the same look too. Penny didn’t quite know what it was, but she knew it meant the person was special — that they loved them.

“Pepper Potts,” Mr. Stark said fondly. “My assistant for the last decade or so. Before her, I hadn’t had an assistant last more than four months. Some couldn’t handle the job or my… quirks. Others wanted the job because they wanted something from me or tried to steal my work to sell to someone else. Then one day this woman from the financial department barges into my office yelling about needing to talk to me about an error, nailing Happy in the face with pepper spray when he tried to stop her. So I hired her and started calling her ‘Pepper’. Best decision I ever made. She’s smart and efficient and _strong_. I’d be lost without her, honestly. At this point, she does more of my job as CEO than I do and probably better than I do too. It’s like she was destined for the business world. If I didn’t need her so much, I’d have promoted her further up in the company than being a PA.”

L-O-V-E H-E-R, Penny said with a smirk, eyebrow raised so he knew it wasn’t a question.

She wasn’t sure how she expected Mr. Stark to react to that, but was surprised when his smile turned sad. “I don’t know, to be honest. But I’m hoping to find out one day.”

Penny nodded and patted his arm, understanding that it was probably one of those complicated grown-up feelings she didn’t understand yet. Mommy had told her that whenever she and Daddy had a disagreement (not a fight, because they never yelled. Her parents always told her to talk about disagreements instead of yelling about them, and it seemed to work for her parents, ‘cause it never lasted long).

Mr. Stark looked down at Penny and chuckled. “Pepper would like you, y’know. Probably take you under her wing and teach you how to take over the world… which honestly doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”

Penny giggled, then nodded. Given Mr. Stark’s description of Ms. Potts, Penny most _definitely_ wanted to meet her. Maybe she could teach Penny how to be strong like her. Like Aunt May had been. 

Aunt May had been the strongest woman she knew. Her mommy was smart and strong in her own ways, but she was polite and kind — something she’d passed onto Penny… and if Penny had learned anything since the last of her family died, being smart and kind didn’t protect you from Bad Guys.

But Aunt May… she’d been strong. Fierce. She was loud and wasn’t afraid to say what she thought, in English or Italian. She was firm and didn’t let other people get away with misbehaving or being mean. But she was kind, too. She hugged and kissed everyone she knew, unafraid to show affection and to share her love openly. She never said sorry unless she really meant it, even if it made her seem less polite (unlike her mother, who would say sorry if someone dropped their food on her lap). It was something Penny had admired about May, and now, more than ever, she wished she had that same strength.

It had been a long time since she’d felt strong. 

Mr. Stark made her feel safe and protected, but not strong like Ms. Potts or Aunt May. Like she could _fight back_. 

_‘P-E-P-E-R L-I-K-E Aunt May,’_ Penny said with a smile.

Mr. Stark’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh yeah? I didn’t mention that Pep’s scary when she’s mad — but only if you deserve it… which I usually do. Was Aunt May scary too?”

Penny nodded, but she was grinning so he knew it wasn’t a bad thing. 

“Well then she must’ve been a good woman,” Mr. Stark said gently. Then he paused, his voice going even softer before he spoke again. “Do you want to tell me about your family?”

Penny wanted to. She really, really did. But it hurt too much — not just because they were gone, but because there was _so much_ she wanted to tell him but couldn’t because she couldn’t talk. She wanted to tell him _everything_ — about Aunt May’s bad cooking and Italian lessons. About Uncle Ben’s _Star Wars_ collection and listening to Mets games while doing chores. About Daddy’s chemistry experiments in the kitchen and never-ending stack of books to read. About Mommy’s dark room for her pictures and cello music and her jewelry box full of earrings from every place she’d ever traveled to. About every other tiny little thing she could remember about her family so that she wasn’t the only one who knew the stories. So that someone else could remember them too.

But she couldn’t tell Mr. Stark all of that just by spelling. It was all locked in her head, trapped in her throat and stuck in her fingers. The words were just waiting to get out, but when she spelled them out, they were missing something she couldn’t explain. 

Besides, she wasn’t sure if Mr. Stark _really_ wanted to know about her family. It was why she was afraid to talk to him, wasn’t it? If he didn’t like her voice, then he _definitely_ wouldn’t like her taking ages just to spell out words to tell him about her family. It was just a waste of time.

Really, she shouldn’t have even asked him in the first place.

So with a heavy heart, Penny bit her lip and shook her head, refusing to look up and see Mr. Stark’s expression. She didn’t know if he would be sad, disappointed, angry or relieved, nor did she _want_ to know.

Mr. Stark’s warm hand shifted and rubbed her back in large, soothing circles. “That’s alright, _bambina_ ,” he murmured. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. Although I just realized that I forgot about one more person.”

Penny risked a glance up to see him smirking.

“You,” he said, tone lighthearted and teasing. “Couldn’t very well leave my little penguin off my list now, could I?”

Tears filled her eyes and she managed a nod before burying her face in Mr. Stark’s chest, completely overwhelmed by the feelings washing over her. She wanted to smile, laugh, and cry. And scream. It hurt but it felt good at the same time, only one thought going through her mind on repeat.

_Not alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve read a lot of Irondad stories where Tony is afraid to get close to Peter because he’s sure he’s bad for him. Where Tony thinks he’s cursed or toxic or something, and ends up pushing Peter away as a result. Which makes sense, when you consider that he’s initially interacting with Peter after his team has betrayed and left him. His self-esteem is probably at an all-time low after that.
> 
> But this story takes place at a completely different time when Tony’s a bit less self-deprecating, if that makes any sense. He comes back from Afghanistan all gung-ho about being responsible and taking _action_ to make up for his wrongs. At this point he’s realizing that change is the name of the game in his life moving forward, so is it really a surprise that instead of rejecting the idea of parenthood he takes it as a _challenge_ to be _better_? Because while Tony may question his ability to parent, he’s also one who is willing to learn just about anything he needs to learn in order to get what he wants. And not just learn, but _excel_. 
> 
> So in this story, as self-conscious and unsure as Tony might feel about being a parent, he’s also going to treat it like a challenge… so he can prove anyone who might question him wrong (including the ghost of Howard still haunting him). He might not know what he’s doing at first, but he’s gonna be the best dang parent ever so that Penny gets what she needs and wants.
> 
> Also, yes, I am well aware that Penny spends the vast majority of this chapter asleep in Tony’s lap. 
> 
> Do I care? Not in the slightest. ;)


	12. The Last Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I need him. Good assistant.”
> 
> Kingpin paused, looking like he was going to put down the coal before pulling back, eyebrows raised as he looked at Tony. “From what I have seen,” he sneered, gesturing to the camera, then Penny. “The child does just as good of a job. A buyer wants her delivered in thirty-six hours. You have twenty-four to complete my missile. Therefore, the doctor’s services are no longer required,” he said with a nod towards Yinsen, the coal moving back towards his face.
> 
> “A deadline like that, I’m gonna have to cut corners unless I have both of them,” Tony negotiated, raising his voice a little to keep Kingpin’s attention on him. He hoped the pain in his chest wasn’t a heart attack in progress.
> 
> The other man scowled. “Enough stalling! Twenty-four hours. The child or the doctor. Your choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While rewatching the escape scenes (for the bajillionth time), I realized that the past eleven chapters (and over 42K words) have all happened during the suit building montage in between the Yinsen and Tony’s “Man who has nothing” scene and Raza coming in to give his ultimatum, which takes place over the course of a grand total of: one (1) minute and eight (8) seconds.
> 
> …I don’t even know what to make of this.
> 
> Anyway, HERE IT IS everyone. The escape is FINALLY happening!! I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> Pulled some of the dialogue from the movie for this chapter and the next, but I tried to keep it to a minimum. I don’t really see the point in rehashing what you’ve already seen before, so from here on out if I’m including a scene that’s in the movie, it’s because I’m changing it and I’ll focus on those parts rather than the scene as a whole (like, for example, skipping a villain’s unchanged monologue…).
> 
> Other scenes either won’t happen at all or happen exactly as they do in the movie(s). If a change is important, don’t worry, you’ll know.

“Nice work, Padawan,” Tony said, grinning when she beamed up at him for the praise. All she’d done was triple check that the mechanical legs he was about to test out were properly attached, but that didn’t seem to matter. He’d learned that Penny came out of her shell most when she felt like she was being helpful, so it’d become a habit to give her tasks where he could. “Come up here and sit behind me.” He gestured to where he was sitting on the worktable. If she was behind him, then on the _minuscule_ chance that the leg brace were to do something catastrophically dangerous, at least his body would protect her.

It didn’t follow standard workshop safety protocols, but it was the best he could do at the moment. There’d be time to teach her proper protocols later.

She quickly did as instructed, her grin not fading for a second, obviously excited about seeing if the leg would work. Once she was settled in, looking over his shoulder from where she was kneeling behind him, he glanced at Yinsen. “We good?”

Yinsen nodded. “Looks good, Stark.”

“Alright. Let’s hope this one doesn’t jam like the first one did,” Tony muttered, then bent his knee several times, testing the joint’s movements. “Eh. It’s a little jerky for my tastes, but it’ll do the job. We don’t have time to be picky.” He paused then huffed. “Now I’m thinking about beef jerky. Dehydrated steak’s never sounded so good.”

Penny wrinkled her nose, making Tony laugh. He reached up and poked her nose, even more amused by the kitten-like glare she shot him as a result.

“You’re right. Burgers sound _way_ better,” he said as he took the leg brace off and placed it in a spot where its purpose wasn’t obvious. Then he detached the lead that provided power to the suit’s core from the arc reactor. “That’s gonna be my first stop once we’re outta here.”

 _‘Me?’_ Penny asked, eyes hopeful.

Tony’s chest warmed. How could he say no to those puppy dog eyes? Not that he planned on trying in the first place. “Of course, _cucciola_. And we can’t forget to get that stuffed penguin I promised you either.” Given that she had been dissociating at the time, he wasn’t sure if she actually remembered him making that promise, but he fully intended to follow through with it anyway.

A bang at the door startled them all, and Tony quickly lifted Penny to the ground and stood between her and the incoming intruders. He gave Penny’s hand one last reassuring squeeze before putting his hands on his head like their captors were no doubt telling them to. Yinsen did the same, but not before muttering to Tony too quietly for Penny to overhear; “I believe our week is up.”

Dread pooled in Tony’s gut. The suit wasn’t ready yet! He still needed a day or so to finish the outer armor and assemble everything.

More goons than usual entered the room this time, weapons trained on their captors as they parted and spread out into the cell. Mini-boss was part of the group, but his usual bravado was gone. Instead, a bald man Tony only vaguely recognized from his single stint outside. He didn’t seem to be carrying a weapon, which only meant one thing: he was Mini-boss’ boss. The kingpin.

Penny grabbed the back of his shirt as she shifted a little closer and further behind him, and he wished he could do something provide her with a least a little bit of comfort with most, if not all, of her tormenters so close.

“Relax,” Kingpin said as he approached, gesturing for Tony and Yinsen to put their arms down. Tony complied, refusing to take his eyes off of the man, resisting the urge to reach back and take Penny’s hand. The man approached Tony, reaching up to touch the arc reactor in his chest.

Except for a small hitch in his breathing, Tony managed to maintain control and not lash out instinctually to push the other man as far away from him as possible. It was keeping him alive — the last thing he wanted was for anyone to even try to touch it. No one he trusted, anyway. Penny seemed to think it made for a nice nightlight.

Kingpin continued, not looking away from the arc reactor. “The bow and arrow once was the pinnacle of weapons technology…”

Tony had to resist the urge to roll his eyes once he realized what was happening. _Was he seriously monologuing?_

Only half of Tony’s mind was paying attention as the man continued. He started walking around and investigating, and as soon as his back was turned, Tony took advantage of the moment to glance down at Penny. She looked terrified, but her eyes were surprisingly clear as her gaze darted between the goons and Kingpin.

Kingpin returned, and Tony’s heart rate sped up when the man picked up some of the blueprints he’d left on a table. Tony glanced at Yinsen, who made a discreet ‘wait’ gesture with his hand. Although he shifted from foot to foot, looking more uneasy than he usually did when they received a visit from the Ten Rings. Which probably had something to do with Kingpin’s presence.

“…And soon, it will be my turn,” their captor said, looking over his shoulder with a sneer at Tony.

He was fairly certain Kingpin’s monologue had something to do with ruling the country or world or whatever and using Tony’s weapons to do it. Either that or simply old fashioned revenge, but that seemed doubtful.

If anyone was going to be getting revenge, it would be Tony.

Kingpin moved to stand directly in front of Tony, staring him down for an uncomfortable moment before shifting his gaze to Penny. Despite the fact that her eyes were steadfastly trained on her feet, she flinched as if she could feel the other man’s focus on her. He observed her for a long moment before looking back up at Tony, expression blank.

Then he started speaking in whatever language they spoke to Yinsen, who replied with hesitation despite his voice wavering.

Kingpin moved across the room towards the forge as he and Yinsen went back and forth until their captor snapped at his goons, who immediately manhandled Yinsen down to his knees.

Tony had to fight to keep his expression still as Kingpin turned around, blowing on a hot coal before speaking to Yinsen.

“What does he want?” Tony asked, but was ignored.

Kingpin approached Yinsen with the coal, so without looking down, he held a hand over Penny’s eyes, not wanting her to see what he was sure was coming next, heart racing as he remembered…

_Darkness._

_Voices._

_Wheezing._

_Burning._

_Pain._

_Can’t breathe. Can’t scream. Can’t move._

_Hands. Where were his hands?!_

Penny buried her face in his side, the movement thankfully dragging Tony back to the present, though his fingers twitched from the phantom pinpricks over his skin.

Yinsen’s head had been forced to lay on the anvil, his and Kingpin’s voices rising as they went back and forth.

“What do you want? A delivery date?” Tony asked, taking a half step forward, only to freeze when the goons raised their weapons and shouted at him. For a moment, everything was still as Tony’s mind raced to figure out what to say. “I need him. Good assistant.”

Kingpin paused, looking like he was going to put down the coal before pulling back, eyebrows raised as he looked at Tony. “From what I have seen,” he sneered, gesturing to the camera, then Penny. “The child does just as good of a job. A buyer wants her delivered in thirty-six hours. You have twenty-four to complete my missile. Therefore, the doctor’s services are no longer required,” he said with a nod towards Yinsen, the coal moving back towards his face.

“A deadline like that, I’m gonna have to cut corners unless I have both of them,” Tony negotiated, raising his voice a little to keep Kingpin’s attention on him. He really hoped the sharp pains in his chest wasn’t a heart attack in progress.

The other man scowled. “Enough stalling! Twenty-four hours. The child or the doctor. Your choice.” He held the coal just a little closer to Yinsen’s face while Mini-boss edged around to Tony’s other side, clearly aiming to make a grab for Penny.

“Hurt either one of them and you won’t be getting anything from me,” Tony growled, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

“Then you forfeit your life in addition to both of theirs,” the man countered, lips twitching because he knew he had the upper hand. “Hand over the child and everyone lives. Or don’t, and the man who saved your life will die because of you.”

Tony hesitated, mind racing as he tried to think of a counter, only to realize Penny was trying to tell him something as her finger surreptitiously traced on his back. He was amazed at how quick she’d gotten. I G-O. N-E-E-D T-I-M-E. T-R-U-S-T Y-O-U S-A-V-E M-E.

He closed his eyes as cold dread filled the pit of his stomach.

_This kid._

This brave, selfless kid was telling him to willingly hand her over to her abusers to save Yinsen’s life and buy them time to escape. She was risking being assaulted — being _raped_ — again if it meant getting them all out alive. And what if they didn’t get out in time? She was trusting Tony to save her before she was taken away for good.

He couldn’t help but wonder if she really understood the stakes. She was a smart kid, but she _was_ only six. Could she truly predict all the ways things could go wrong for her? He was the adult, after all, and weren’t adults supposed to be the ones making the informed decisions for minors?

“Choose!” Kingpin demanded, but Tony barely paid attention.

N-O H-U-R-T. B-U-Z T-H-E-N H-I-D.

He realized her plan in an instant and turned around and knelt in front of her. He was torn because he felt like the world’s worst potential parent for even _considering_ her plan, but at the same time… it might just work. Because if she could get away before anything happened… if she could escape and hide when they would expect her to run… then she would be safe and Yinsen would live.

When he met her eyes, he realized that they were full of trust and hope. Penny believed in him, and she was asking him to believe in her.

“Stark…” Yinsen said in a warning tone. When Tony looked up at him, the doctor shook his head with a fierce glare, promising retribution if he chose Yinsen over Penny.

But Tony clenched his jaw and huffed. He wasn’t going to let Yinsen die. Not after watching three airmen die protecting him. Not when there was another option that meant everyone lived.

So he let his gaze travel to Kingpin, allowing the desperation he was feeling to leak into his facial expression and voice. “You won’t kill her?” he asked. He knew the Ten Rings couldn’t promise anything beyond when they handed Penny over to whoever the buyer was, but Tony didn’t need that promise. And if it made Kingpin feel like he had the upper hand, then so be it.

Slowly, their captor nodded, a hint of triumph in his eyes. “The child lives and you get to keep one assistant.”

Tony turned to wrap his arms around Penny. “You’re smarter and braver than anyone I’ve ever met, _bambina_ ,” he murmured as quietly as he could. “I know you can do this. As soon as it’s done, I’ll find you, promise.”

She nodded into his shoulder and squeezed her arms around his neck as tight as she could. He could feel her trembling, but when she pulled back the terrified child he was so used to seeing was gone. Instead she looked heartbreakingly older, with a calm determination on her face that revealed the kid who’d tried to escape three times and nearly succeeded. If she could do that, then she could do this. She could keep herself safe for a day.

“Stark, no!” Yinsen suddenly burst, fighting against the men holding him down.

But Tony ignored him — and the lump in his throat — as he got back up with a posture made of iron. “He stays.”

Yinsen’s protests grew louder as he was shoved to the ground. Raza placed the coal down on the anvil and nodded his approval, gesturing for Mini-boss to take Penny. She flinched back when the man grabbed her arm, but didn’t resist, only looking back at Tony as she was lead from the room, her lips twitching in response to the reassuring smile he shot her.

The goons began to file out, Raza pausing in the doorway for one last reminder. “Twenty-four hours.”

**~*~**

When Penny realized the Bad Men were going to kill Mr. Yinsen, she’d known she’d have to do something. He was a good guy — he’d helped her, protected her. He was nice to her and took care of her and Mr. Stark in every way he could. He didn’t deserve to die just like Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Ben and Aunt May hadn’t deserved to die.

Skip had said that it was her fault. That they’d died to get away from a little brat who talked too much.

But before they died, May and Ben said her parents’ plane crash wasn’t her fault. That it was an accident.

Her social worker said that May and Ben’s deaths weren’t her fault either, but she’d also said that the Westcotts were good people and Penny knew _that_ wasn’t true in the slightest.

Penny wasn’t sure who to believe. She _wanted_ to believe that it wasn’t her fault her entire family had died, but Skip had been right about a lot of things, too. Like the fact that no one liked Penny when she talked. And that she was alone.

Well, she used to be. Until Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen.

Which was why she couldn’t lose either of them. It didn’t matter whether it was her fault her family had died or not — she’d known the moment the Baddest Man tried to make Mr. Stark choose between her and Mr. Yinsen that she had to do something to save the kind doctor who’d helped her. If she didn’t, and he died, it’d be her fault.

Especially because she _knew_ that the Bad Men wanted her alive. If she went with them, then they’d both live and Mr. Yinsen could help Mr. Stark save her. But if she did nothing, then Mr. Yinsen would die and there was no take-backs after that. And yeah, maybe she’d get hurt again, but it was kinda like ripping off a band-aid. It could hurt, but only for a little while and then it would be over. Then she would be free and it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

So she’d rip the band-aid off and hurt if it gave Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen more time. And Penny was smart and careful, it might not hurt at all.

The problem with her other escape plans were that they were only half of a plan. She got caught outside of the cave because she hadn’t known what to do with herself once she was outside of the cave. But this plan? Letting herself get taken again? It would work because she didn’t need to do the whole plan on her own. She just had to hide herself somewhere safe and wait. Once Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen found her, then they would be in charge and she would just follow them.

So telling Mr. Stark to let her go wasn’t as scary as she’d expected it to be.

She knew _she_ could stick to the plan, and she trusted that Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen would stick to the plan, so it was definitely the right thing to do because it would save Mr. Yinsen’s life.

Mr. Stark seemed to agree, because he’d let her go with a hug and a promise that she knew he’d keep. Mr. Yinsen, on the other hand, had seemed upset, but she hoped that Mr. Stark would be able to explain everything to him… because Mr. Stark probably understood better than Mr. Yinsen why Penny would go with the Bad Men one last time.

Based on the smile he gave her before she was led out of the room, he did.

The Bad Men brought Penny back to the room they’d left her in before, dumping her on the floor with the usual laughter and teasing.

They didn’t pay attention to the fact that she’d cooperated and walked to the room on her own two feet instead of needing to be carried or dragged because she wasn’t fighting or imagining, which she hoped meant they didn’t know that she was more aware than usual. That she was waiting for the right moment.

Once out of the room — and Mr. Stark’s safe presence — she’d had to focus hard on not slipping into her imaginations the whole way, forcing her terror back by thinking about the plan over and over again. Then she thought about her plan for after they escaped, which was really just taking a bath, putting on clean clothes and getting burgers with Mr. Stark.

She had to stay focused or else the plan would fall apart. It wasn’t just about _her_ escaping anymore. Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen were counting on _her_ to find a safe place to hide until the suit was ready. She was sure she wouldn’t have to wait long, though. Mr. Stark was trusting her, so she had to trust that he would work as fast as he could and come and find her.

And she did.

It was probably the reason why she didn’t start imagining, really. It was hard to feel as scared when she knew help was going to come soon.

The Bad Men left her alone at first, so Penny took the opportunity to crawl over to the corner furthest from the door and curl up into a tiny ball on the floor. Not only did it help keep her warm, but it allowed her to pull the taser Mr. Stark had given her out of her sock and held out of sight, but at the ready, so that she could lash out and zap anyone who came within arm’s reach.

Just holding the taser made the trembling in her arms and legs settle. Her stomach was still doing jumping jacks, but she felt stronger, knowing she had a way to defend herself.

This time, she was in control.

This time, no one would hurt her.

This time, she would escape.

**~*~**

Yinsen’s rage was palpable as he turned on Tony the moment the door slammed shut behind the Ten Rings. He took several deep breaths, but his jaw was clenched and his fists were shaking — although Tony wasn’t sure how much of his reaction was due to Penny being taken _again_ or nearly getting a hot coal shoved in his mouth.

“We’ve got a plan,” Tony said preemptively, hoping to cut the rant that Yinsen not doubt was preparing for off at its knees. They didn’t have _time_ to get into a big fight.

Yinsen scoffed. “No plan should involve sending a child back into the hands of monsters.”

Tony winced. He couldn’t exactly disagree. And yet, that was exactly what he’d done. “She’s got the taser. She’s going to use it and hide,” he said as quietly as possible, ducking his head so his face wasn’t facing the camera. “It’s just to buy us some time. We finish the suit and scoop her up on the way out. She doesn’t get hurt, you don’t end up dead. We’re all heading back to Kansas. Win-win.”

“And if she cannot get away? If they take the taser? If she cannot subdue more than one man? Then what?” Yinsen demanded, his voice steady, cold and dangerous.

“She will,” Tony said more confidently than he felt. He trusted Penny, he did. It was everyone else he didn’t trust. She would do her best, he knew… but what if it wasn’t enough?

“I told you not to take any unnecessary risks,” Yinsen snapped.

“ _Give me a break!_ ” he half-shouted in his defense. “It’s not like I had a lot of options here! It was a risk Penny’s willing to take to save your life, and frankly, I am too!” He turned to look at the blueprints, half of his mind already cutting down what they had left into the bare essentials they could do before their time was up.

Yinsen came up and grabbed his shoulder, ignoring the way Tony flinched back. “Penny is not worth my life! She is a _child_! She should not be risking her life for mine! Nor should you, for that matter!” He shook his head, a pleading note wavering in his tone. “What if things go wrong? What if she is caught and is killed? What if we’re too late and she’s taken beyond our reach? I cannot have that on my conscience!”

Tony huffed, because _really?_ What about Tony’s conscience? Or Penny’s, for that matter? “And what if you died? You really think either of us want that on our conscience? Do you know what that would do to me? To _her_? She’s _six_! She doesn’t deserve to live with that kind of guilt — and you _know_ that’s how she’ll take it. She’s got enough psychological trauma as it is and I’m not looking to add to it.”

The doctor’s expression flattened. “So you expect me to live with that guilt instead.”

“Yeah, actually,” Tony snarked, surprising the other man. “Wanna know why? ‘Cause you’re the grown up. So am I. We can handle it. Something goes wrong, that’s on us. We’ll have to live with it. But here’s the thing, she’s asking us to trust her as much as she trusts us, and that is _everything_ to that kid right now. So I’m willing to take that risk because I believe in her and you should too,” Tony finished, pointing a finger at Yinsen but stopping short of poking his chest.

“You are really sure about this,” Yinsen said in surprise.

Tony scoffed. “You shouldn’t be so shocked. I _told you_ not to ask me to choose. I _told you_ if I could find another option I would. This option, there’s a chance everyone makes it. All you’ve gotta do is trust us and pull your weight. Can you do that or not?”

Yinsen shook his head. “You are putting far too much trust in the hands of a child too young to make these choices. Your job is to protect her, not throw her to the wolves as a distraction in order to save an old man’s life!”

“ _And you saved mine!_ ” Tony bellowed, running low on patience. “I’m not going to let you die when I can protect Penny _and_ save you. Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Penny’s one of the most resilient kids on the planet. She’s survived this long on her own despite having every choice taken from her at every turn. If I were to ignore her wishes then I’d be no better than the men who’ve hurt her. If I let you die, then all she’d feel is guilt and yeah, _maybe_ she’d be alive, but she’d have to live the rest of her life with a weight she probably already feels four times over. So I took a risk, because if we all get out of here alive, she’ll be better off in the long run.”

“Unless, of course, she doesn’t get out,” Yinsen spat bitterly.

“Letting you die doesn’t guarantee her getting out either!” Tony retorted, practically pleading Yinsen to consider _all_ of the options further than their immediate consequences. “Don’t you see that?”

He gestured to the nearly ready to be assembled pieces to the suit. “ _Think_ about the last steps for the suit and tell me that I’d go faster with a six-year-old emaciated child helping instead of another fully grown adult capable of lifting heavy metal armor. Just think about it! You die, she stays, but we’re too slow and can’t finish the suit in time. Then she’s gone and I’m dead at best, or both of us at worst. And if she lives? She gets to live the rest of her life thinking that _both_ of us died because of her.”

Tony sighed and forced himself to calm down. They didn’t have _time_ for this. “So don’t tell me that I made a mistake. Don’t tell me that letting her risk herself for you was the wrong way to go. It wasn’t. We can do this. But only if you stop wallowing and start working. Can I trust you to do that? Or was _that_ the real mistake here?”

Yinsen winced, but Tony didn’t regret the dig. At this point, if they failed, it really would be the doctor’s fault. Tony thought the doctor could look past his anger and pull his weight, but if he couldn’t then they were all screwed. And it didn’t matter if Yinsen had saved his life or not… Tony wouldn’t be able to forgive him for that.

“Very well,” Yinsen finally conceded, and Tony gave a sigh of relief. “Let us work.”

**~*~**

Penny winced when she noticed blood pooling under the Bad Man’s head.

He’d hit the ground hard when she’d tased him and didn’t get back up. Keeping the taser at the ready in case he was pretending, she held her free hand over his mouth, then sighed in relief when she felt his breath on her palm.

Not that she was relieved he was alive. No, she was just relieved _she_ hadn’t been the one to kill him.

She recognized him. He’d done Bad Things. Awful, horrible things, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t wish he was dead.

But Uncle Ben explained that as a police officer, he enforced the law, but he didn’t decide it. He caught Bad Guys, but how they were punished was up to a judge and jury. It meant that if one person hurt another person, the person that was hurt wouldn’t try to get revenge and do something worse. Or let them go when they shouldn’t because they care too much about the person hurting them to see them punished.

Penny didn’t care one bit about the Bad Men, but she knew a lot of villains became villains because they wanted revenge, and she didn’t want to be a villain. She didn’t want to be the kind of person that killed people, even if they hurt her.

Mommy always told her to treat everyone the way she wanted to be treated, so killing someone would be kinda stupid, wouldn’t it? That was like saying that she wanted someone else to kill her, and Penny _really_ didn’t want that to happen!

Then again, she didn’t want to be tased, either, but she’d done that to defend herself, not get revenge. And Aunt May said she should do whatever she had to in order to defend herself. It wasn’t the same as punishing someone.

Still, Penny was relieved that she hadn’t accidentally killed the Bad Man. It was better to let a grown-up decide how to punish him and all the rest of the Bad Men. Like Mr. Stark. He would make sure they got caught.

Penny shook herself from her thoughts and left the sleeping man where he was. The door was the same one she’d already figured out how to open the last time she’d escaped. Since it wasn’t like the big heavy metal one that locked Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen in their room, it was much easier to open on her own. It was made of a lighter metal — there was supposed to be a handle on both sides, but the Bad Men thought breaking the one on the inside of the room would make it impossible for anyone to open.

Except breaking off the handle left a hole where she could access the door’s locking mechanism. It’d taken her a while, but eventually she’d managed to use a long, thin strip of metal that she’d found on the ground of the room one day to pick the lock. She didn’t know where it’d come from, but it had worked. She’d dropped the piece when she’d managed to get the door open and needed both hands to do so, and hadn’t bothered to pick it up when she’d ran.

Penny didn’t have to look far to find it once more, and within a few minutes she was pulling the door open as quietly as possible.

Her heart was racing as she slowly peeked her head out to see if there was anyone coming. But, like the last time she’d escaped, it was empty. And quiet.

The kind of quiet she’d eventually come to recognize as meaning most of the Bad Men were asleep. And the ones who were awake were all keeping watch outside in front of a fire to stay warm. All of which had made it surprisingly easy to sneak through the cave and outside.

This time, Penny did the same thing, except her ultimate destination wasn’t outside, but where the part of her that was really good at hide-and-seek was confident would be the perfect hiding place.

They would expect her to run again. Or try to get back to Mr. Stark and Mr. Yinsen.

But they wouldn’t expect her to squeeze behind one of the many, many stacks of boxes of supplies and equipment that were pushed against the walls wherever there was free space.

She passed on the first stack of boxes because they were placed too closely together and weren’t high enough to cover her completely. The second, however, had four large rectangular boxes next to each other, with a wide but long and thin one sitting on top. There was just enough space between two of the four for Penny to squeeze through and curl up against the cave wall, tucked far enough back that she couldn’t be seen from between the boxes or from above.

It was like being in a little tent.

Well, Penny didn’t actually know if it was like a tent because she’d never been in one. She’d never gone camping, either.

Maybe blanket fort was better. She’d made those before and it was similar… except blanket forts were soft and nicer smelling. And bigger. And funner.

It was a tight spot and Penny had very little room to move, but that was okay. The boxes were too big to move on her own, so she could lean against them without worrying about giving herself away somehow. It was even a little warmer, as the boxes blocked the damp, chilly air that filled the cave at all times.

Apparently she’d settled into her spot just in time, because she could hear muffled shouting, then feet approaching. Penny held her breath while they passed — not that they would’ve been able to hear her with the way they were yelling.

She stayed tense for a long while, trying to listen and find out what was going on but not daring to move so she could hear better. Eventually, she rested her chin on her knees, eyes focused on the words on the side of the box in front of her. Just enough light came through the cracks for her to read it.

 _Stark Industries_.

Penny knew it was Bad that the Bad Men had Mr. Stark’s weapons, but in that moment she felt protected and safe because she was completely surrounded by things he’d made. He’d made her taser, too, and that had helped keep her safe as well.

She smiled to herself. It seemed like Mr. Stark was keeping his promise, even if he couldn’t protect her in person, his inventions would.

With that thought easing her fears, Penny closed her eyes and somehow managed to lightly doze while she waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abu got the dumb nickname ‘Mini-boss’, so Raza got the equally uncreative ‘Kingpin’. No, that is not a reference to the ACTUAL Marvel villain Kingpin. Let’s just pretend that Tony’s nicknames for both characters were far more clever than I am, alright?
> 
> Some of y’all are probably gonna hate me for having Tony let Penny go like that. Don’t worry, I kinda hate me too. I hadn’t initially planned on Tony being given a choice as to whether or not Penny was taken a second time, but as I wrote it all sort of came out and now I feel like a horrible person because it’s like the worst version of stuck between a rock and a hard place.
> 
> Hopefully I managed to explain Tony’s rationalization well enough. I know it gets messy and muddled after a while, but when all is said and done, remember that Tony a) is new to this whole parenting gig, b) has never really prioritized well, c) is a businessman who weighs options logically and goes for the best outcome possible (see CA:CW, when he recruits a 14-year-old to fight half of the Avengers), and d) has been backed into a corner where either choice lowers their odds of escaping. 
> 
> So when Penny presents a third option — even if it’s bad and risky and morally questionable — that might get him everything he wants and he’s fairly confident will work because he trusts Penny… well of course he takes it!
> 
> Also, as much as I would love for Tony to just save Penny on his own, I’m trying to stay true to the Peter Parker we all know and love — the kid who is too strong a character to just sit back and let things happen when he could make a difference. Penny’s plan is a direct result of that quality combined with having recently lost four parental figures and having no sense of control over any of it. 
> 
> She sees an option where she can have a bit of control over whether or not another adult in her life dies and she takes the opportunity because she doesn’t want to go through that for a fifth time.
> 
> There’s also the unfortunate fact that Penny is able to recognize that they’ve kinda got bigger problems than her getting hurt again. It’s an awful thing to say or think, yes, but Penny’s smart enough to know that if she doesn’t go, then her chance of escaping at all will likely disappear. And if that happens, then everything she’s already been through will just keep happening.
> 
> I know it’s a higher level of thinking than most typical six-year-olds are capable of, but those are the same kids we tell to rip a band-aid off quickly instead of slowly so it’ll hurt less in the long run. It’s the same vein of thinking, just much higher stakes and way more traumatic.
> 
> Luckily for everyone involved (that we like), Penny’s plan works out well — go Penny!
> 
> Originally, I was planning on splitting this chapter up so you wouldn’t know what happened after Penny was taken… _again_. But then chapters 11, 12 and 13 had titles that fit a theme and that last bit with Penny fit better here than there…. and I realized it’d be kinda cruel to leave you guys with essentially the same cliffhanger twice. :D
> 
> Based on the last two chapter titles, wanna take a guess as to what’s ahead for chapter 13? ;)


	13. The Last Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Penny!” he exclaimed in relief. He immediately crouched in front of her, eyes looking her over in the dim light and scanning for injuries. “Are you alright, little one? Did they hurt you again?”
> 
> The young girl quickly shook her head, holding up the taser Stark had gifted her, gripped tightly in one small fist. Her expression was triumphant, and something tight loosened in his chest as he exhaled in relief. Stark had been right. _Penny_ had been right. 
> 
> Their plan had worked… so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: the second section (Tony’s POV) gets a little violent/dark-ish? I don’t think it’s beyond canon-typical violence, but Tony’s thoughts are much darker than I’d anticipated (a total lack of remorse being the primary factor). If it makes you uncomfortable, feel free to skip over it.
> 
> Hopefully this chapter will satisfy all of those bloodthirsty reviewers out there who’ve literally been asking for Tony to burn the Ten Rings alive (or some variation thereof) since chapter one. 
> 
> If it doesn’t, well, this won’t be Tony’s last chance to take on the Ten Rings (and other despicable individuals to blame for Penny’s pain). ;)

“…sure the checkpoints are clear and you’ve got Penny’s glider before you follow me out, okay?” Stark was asking from behind Yinsen, who was staring at the progress bar on the laptop in front of him. An eerie calm passed over him as he realized he knew what he had to do.

“We need more time,” he murmured. Penny had bought them time the day before. Now Yinsen had to do the same. He turned to face Stark. “Hey, I’m going to go buy you some time.”

Stark’s eyes widened — either in fear or shock, Yinsen couldn’t tell. “No! Stick to the plan! Penny needs you to _stick to the plan!_ ” Stark growled in a tone that made Yinsen pause in reaching for the weapon beside the Hungarian-speaking Ten Rings members lying dead in the rubble that was once the doorway. The sense of calm was marred by a sliver of anxiety that curled in his gut at the thought of Penny.

They had no idea where she was. They didn’t know if she was still in the cave, if she was hidden safely or locked up and hurt once again, or even if she was alive. Stark had allowed the foolish child to convince him to hand her over to monsters in order to save a life that didn’t want to be saved and now Stark wanted Yinsen to skulk in the shadows and watch the other man put his life at risk too?

No, Yinsen could not stand for that. Not anymore. Penny had already put her life above his. It did not matter that Stark had the suit as protection, Yinsen did not want to risk it being damaged before they could get out of the cave with Penny. If it was damaged, then they would be grounded, and there would be no hope for Stark or Penny at all.

He had to get Penny, bring her to Stark, then somehow convince the man to fly off with the child and leave Yinsen behind. That had been the plan all along and Yinsen wasn’t going to let either of the other two do something to ruin it.

They were _all_ going to escape. Just not the same way.

“I will be careful, Stark,” Yinsen said as patiently as he could. “I’m not just buying time, I’ll be looking for Penny, too.” He grabbed the small backpack-sized lump that was Penny’s compact paraglider and pulled a strap over one shoulder.

Stark hesitated, staring at Yinsen with large, surprisingly expressive eyes that betrayed just how afraid the genius was. Yinsen wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for as he took in Yinsen’s own rather blank but determined expression, but after a moment Stark huffed and nodded. “Be careful. I’ll be right behind you.”

Yinsen nodded and grabbed the weapon just as voices yelling started echoing down the tunnel. Remembering a few pieces of advice Stark had given Penny during their planning, he immediately jumped into motion.

_“Stay small, stick to the shadows, but move fast and unpredictably. Don’t give them a good look or the chance to aim at you. If there’s one of you and a lot of them in a small space and you’re scurrying around like a little mouse, they’re not gonna shoot for one reason: bullets bounce.”_

Pressing himself against the right wall, he crouched a little and moved as swiftly and quietly as he could towards the left turn ahead. Just as the owners of the voices came into view, Yinsen dropped onto one knee and shot that the three men who appeared, aiming for their legs. He wasn’t aiming to kill — as much as Yinsen hated the Ten Rings, he’d lived his life saving others, and that was how he would end it.

Stark, on the other hand, would no doubt be merciless. Yinsen’s goal was just to distract them long enough for the suit to come online, at which point Stark would do as he saw fit.

Yinsen was lucky and managed to knock two of the unsuspecting men down with his first barrage. The third froze in his tracks, caught sight of Yinsen, and then ran the other way instead of shooting back.

Not wanting to give the other two downed men a chance to retaliate, Yinsen quickly scurried up to them and kicked their weapons out of their hands and far out of reach, then hit them with a well-aimed punch to each of their faces. He knew from personal experience that having a broken nose was rather disorienting.

He left both men on the ground groaning and headed left at the fork instead of right. Stark would be going right, and that was the direction the men had come from, but in their planning sessions, Penny had said she’d been held in a room not far from the left side of the fork that converged just outside of the cell and went deeper into the cave. It seemed like the smartest place to check first.

The tunnel was surprisingly empty of people, and Yinsen guessed that the explosion had cleared everyone out. He weaved through the stacked boxes of equipment that lined the tunnel walls, and after a minute or two of hearing nothing but distant shouts, Yinsen decided to risk calling out for Penny.

“Are you here, Penny?” he whispered. “It’s Yinsen. It’s safe to come out. Stark is in the suit and will be looking for us soon.”

As if on cue, there was a yell, a thud, and the sound of gunfire in the distance, which Yinsen was sure could only mean that Stark was on the move.

A soft knock behind him had Yinsen jumping around and practically yelping in surprise. He managed to refrain from aiming his weapon at the source of the noise, knowing from the soft giggle that followed exactly who it was. Half-hidden behind a box, Penny stood, her head peeking out and lips pulled into a small smile, eyes twinkling in excitement.

“Penny!” he exclaimed in relief. He immediately crouched in front of her, eyes looking her over in the dim light and scanning for injuries. “Are you alright, little one? Did they hurt you again?”

The young girl quickly shook her head, holding up the taser Stark had gifted her, gripped tightly in one small fist. Her expression was triumphant, and something tight loosened in his chest as he exhaled in relief. Stark had been right. _Penny_ had been right.

Their plan had worked… so far.

Somehow, Yinsen managed a smile despite the seriousness of the situation, and quickly helped Penny put on her little glider backpack while reminding her to stick close but stay behind him and find cover if someone started shooting at them. She nodded along, her grin fading into a determined expression that surprised him. The way her jaw and shoulders were set made her seem like a completely different child than the timid and terrified one he’d first met.

He’d honestly expected to find her dissociating, or well on her way to it, but she was alert and focused in the way he’d only seen on the rare occasion she worked on a task independent of Yinsen or Stark. It was like the weight of responsibility had bolstered her somehow.

For a moment, Yinsen mourned, knowing he wouldn’t get to watch the girl grow first-hand. In the short time he had known her, he had no doubt that Penny would be a formidable woman one day. Especially under Stark’s care and guidance.

Yinsen inhaled and exhaled, focusing on the moment. He still had to get Penny and Stark out before his time could come to an end. It was coming soon; he could feel it.

Soon, he would return to his family. Soon, he would be at peace.

**~*~**

It would be a lie if Tony were to say that he hadn’t found some form of grim satisfaction in plowing through the Ten Rings goons as he made his way through the cave in the suit. The ice-cold rage he’d been holding on to finally melted and began boiling over, finding release with every hit. With every thud of a body against rock, with every crack of bone against metal. With every yell of pain and whimper of fear.

He didn’t hesitate once because they hadn’t hesitated either. Their looks of fear were overridden by their expressions of sick glee was they watched or helped torture Tony, or their predatory gazes fixed on a terrified Penny.

They weren’t men, they were monsters. They weren’t just in the business of buying and selling illegally acquired weaponry, they were in the business of terrorism, rape, torture and murder.

Tony only wished he had the time and resources to do what he had promised when they’d taken Penny and make sure to burn each and every single one of them to ash.

But he didn’t. Reducing the entire Ten Rings’ operations to dust was something he would have to wait for. Once Penny was safe and his plans were in motion.

As he approached one terrified goon who’d been trapped with Tony behind a door by his buddies, Tony felt his lips widen into a smirk. The goon gave up shooting and banged on the door, yelling for his buddies to let him through, his movements growing increasingly frantic the closer Tony got. The light from the arc reactor illuminated the man’s face when he looked back, and Tony recognized him as one of the goons who’d been particularly aggressive while jeering at Penny.

He was the one who’d nearly always initiated making rude gestures in Penny’s line of sight. He pushed into Penny’s — and therefore Tony’s — personal space most. He was the loudest of taunters and had a possessive gleam in his eye that was different from the other goons and was the one most likely to push Penny into dissociating when they were being “observed” by the Ten Rings.

In short, while she’d never indicated it obviously, he was the worst of the worst of Penny’s tormentors.

The rage monster in Tony’s chest roared when he grabbed the goon by the arm and lifted him up, using the suit’s strength to toss the goon at the closed metal doors like a rag doll. The goon gave a muffled scream before he hit metal, then crumpled to the floor and out of Tony’s limited field of vision. The blood stain on the door told him everything he needed to know about the man’s fate.

A fate well deserved. After all, he’d hurt Tony’s kid.

**~*~**

Mr. Yinsen stopped a safe distance away from one of the Bad Men laying quietly on the ground. He looked back at her with the signal to stay, then took a few steps forward, grunted, then turned back to Penny. “I believe Stark is ahead of us,” Mr. Yinsen said calmly. “But I do not believe he would want…” he trailed off hesitantly, then sighed. “You must not look, little one. Can I carry you?” he asked hesitantly.

Penny immediately understood what Mr. Yinsen was trying to say. He thought she was too young to see all the Bad Men hurt or killed because of Mr. Stark’s suit and was trying to protect her.

She had no idea what kinds of things they might see, but given how many weeks in a row she’d had nightmares after Uncle Ben let her watch a horror movie with him, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She didn’t want to see anything else that would give her more nightmares than she already had.

So Penny nodded, shuffling forward and wrapping her arms around Mr. Yinsen’s neck and her legs around his waist when he lifted her up and set her on his hip. “I’ll tell you when it’s safe to look again,” Mr. Yinsen said as she buried her face in his shoulder and nodded.

Then they were moving as quickly as Mr. Yinsen could go, the tunnel falling strangely silent as the echoes of voices disappeared. There was a single gunshot, and Penny knew they were getting close when she could hear the echoes of rocks falling and metal clanking.

“Oh my,” Mr. Yinsen whispered at one point, his pace slowing down. It felt like he was trying to fit through a tight space, and when he almost fell over Penny risked a peek. Two giant pieces of metal were laying unevenly on the floor (Penny tried not to think about the hand she spotted poking out from underneath one), and Mr. Yinsen was trying to shuffle between them like he was between rows of seats at a movie theater.

At first Penny thought the pieces of metal were from Mr. Stark’s suit, but a glance over Mr. Yinsen’s shoulder told her that they’d once been doors. Mr. Stark must have blown them off of their hinges.

Mr. Yinsen noticed that she’d moved her head and readjusted his grip on her. “Don’t look. We’re close.”

Penny quickly complied, focusing on the sound to Mr. Yinsen’s breathing instead.

“16 steps from the door, fork right…” he murmured, reciting the path out that Penny had taught him and Mr. Stark (although they’d calculated the number of steps for the suit against Penny’s — it was much more than 16 for her). “Now just 33 steps, then turn right… ah, I think I can see light from outside— oh, there’s Stark!” He called the last word out and the metal clanking ahead stopped. “You can look now, Penny,” Mr. Yinsen added, and her head instantly popped up.

She sighed in relief when she saw Mr. Stark in the suit of armor just ahead. He looked like a shadow because of the sunlight shining behind him from around the corner he hadn’t quite reached. A grin formed on her face as he turned around and lifted his mask.

“Penny! Yinsen!” Mr. Stark exclaimed, his face full of relief. “You guys okay?” Penny nodded at the same time as Mr. Yinsen, and Mr. Stark chuckled. “Good. I think everyone’s cleared out, probably waiting outside to ambush us. Once we round the corner, take cover. They’ll probably start shooting the moment they see me, and I don’t want you hit by any stray bullets or debris. Then—”

“Then we sneak out while they are focused on you and go around the edge of the camp and find a vehicle, we know,” Mr. Yinsen recited. “We will be fine. Go, before they come looking.”

Mr. Stark smiled, but it was tight as he met Penny’s eyes. “Almost there, Penguin,” he murmured.

Penny gave him a nervous thumbs up, silently praying that nothing would happen to Mr. Stark or the suit when he undoubtedly would be standing and getting shot at by all the Bad Men at once.

Then Mr. Stark turned around and walked towards the corner and started to go right, only to duck to the side as something flew by and exploded when it hit the cave wall behind him. At the same time, there was a burst of gunfire.

The next thing Penny knew, she was on the ground, Mr. Yinsen holding her tight to his chest and using his body to protect her from the rocks falling from above. A second later there was another explosion, but further away, and Penny guessed that Mr. Stark had fired one of his rockets ( _“Not a missile, Padawan. It’s not guided, but has a propellant, unlike grenades.”_ ) at whoever tried to blow them up.

Another burst of gunfire sounded, and Penny instinctively tightened her grip on Mr. Yinsen when she heard bullets bouncing off of Mr. Stark’s suit.

Then there was a screech, a flash of light, wave of heat and the smell of something burning, followed by a scream. The floor shook as Mr. Stark stomped towards the sound of the scream, then there was a mechanical whirr and two thuds, and the screaming stopped.

“Yinsen! Penny!” Mr. Stark yelled, Penny was barely able to process what had happened before Mr. Yinsen groaned and she felt his weight lift off of her. She quickly sat up, taking in the sight of Mr. Stark awkwardly kneeling beside them in the suit while Mr. Yinsen had been rolled onto his back. Mr. Stark cursed and Mr. Yinsen groaned again, his hand moving to catch Mr. Stark’s before it could touch the doctor’s chest…

…that was covered in blood.

**~*~**

“Don’t,” Yinsen murmured as he blocked Tony’s hand from putting pressure on the bullet wound in his chest. The bloodstain on his shirt was growing at an alarming rate, and Tony knew that there wasn’t much time before Yinsen bled out. “It’s okay.”

“No,” Tony protested, his anger returning suddenly. “No, it’s not. We weren’t going to do this, remember? No self-sacrificial idiots,” he said despite knowing that his argument was weak at best. Yinsen had no way of knowing that he’d get hit — he’d done the natural thing and protected Penny, not intentionally thrown himself in harm’s way.

Yinsen chuckled weakly. “It is no sacrifice to protect those you love, but an honor.” His head lolled to the side to look at Penny, who was kneeling beside him, clutching one of his hands and watching him with sad, resigned doe eyes. She seemed uninjured, the blood on her own shirt likely a result of Yinsen covering her after being hit. “Thank you for saving my life before, but know that this is not your fault. Either of you,” he added with a glance back at Tony. “This was always the plan… but I am glad it happened this way.”

Tony closed his eyes, trying to breathe through the tight ball of grief in his chest. Part of him knew — and had known for a long time — that Yinsen would do this. “Your family,” he murmured. “Where—“ he started, not quite knowing how to ask if the man had a message to pass on to them.

Yinsen shook his head slowly. “My family is dead. I am going to see them now, Stark. That is why— that is the difference… between us. I have nothing to live for… to hope for anymore.”

Suddenly, Tony understood, and he _hated_ it. He hated that a hopeless man had been the one to give Tony hope. Hope that he could be better. That he could right his wrongs. That he could change his legacy. That he could be a better parent than Howard.

Hope… perhaps that was the difference between being willing to live for someone and willing to die for them. Without hope, dying for someone was easy… there was no sacrifice in death when you had no hope in your own future. The sacrifice was in giving up one’s hope — one’s potential — for their own future in favor of another’s.

Sacrifice did not require death. It required life, because there was a long a list of things one could sacrifice before their entire life in the hope of preserving another’s potential. Sacrificing one’s life required being unwilling to die but doing so anyway.

The willingness to live for someone lay in that list of things to sacrifice before one’s life. It was in doing absolutely everything necessary to find a third option first. It was in making death the absolute _last_ resort. It was so much _more_ than being willing to die for someone because it was so much harder.

Tony swore to himself to never get to the point where he was only willing to die for someone — especially Penny. He would never give up hope and never stop fighting, for himself and for Penny.

“It’s okay. I want this. I want this,” Yinsen murmured, like that was supposed to be reassuring. Like that made it _okay_. Like it was supposed to ease the guilt that was already starting to rest on his shoulders — not because he could’ve prevented what was happening — but because he’d failed to give Yinsen the hope to live that the doctor had given Tony.

A small sniffle alerted both men to the fact that Penny had started crying, and Yinsen was quick to try and reassure her. “Don’t worry, little one. I will tell your family that you are safe. That Stark— that your father will take care of you,” Yinsen whispered, and Tony felt his heart stutter, because that was something he had yet to bring up with Penny. Calling her family was one thing, but to presume that she wanted him to be a _father_ to her was something else entirely.

But for the first time, the prospect of being a father didn’t send a shiver of terror down his spine. Some anxiety, yes, but mostly it filled him with warmth he realized was love.

_‘Thank you,’_ was Penny’s reply, much to Tony’s surprise. She didn’t look even remotely uncomfortable or upset by Yinsen’s suggestion.

Suddenly Tony felt nothing but gratitude for Yinsen. For everything he’d done for him, for Penny. He blinked away the prickling feeling of his eyes watering. “Thank you for saving me. For saving both of us,” he added, swallowing down the lump in his throat.

Yinsen smiled softly as he turned back to Tony. “You’re a man with something now,” Yinsen gasped. “Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life.”

“Never,” he whispered.

Yinsen breathed once, then twice, then went still.

**~*~**

The rest of their escape passed by in a blur.

Tony left Penny tucked behind a large pile of bags of beans just inside the cave’s entrance as he headed outside to fight off the rest of the Ten Rings and destroy his weapons.

Grief, determination, hope and rage warred within as he set the camp ablaze, goons and all. There was something cathartic about keeping his promise and watching them burn. He knew it was unlikely that he’d wipe them out completely — the Ten Rings was a terrorist group, after all, and they were a bit like cockroaches. It’d take a bit more than destroying one of their camps to finish the job.

He didn’t go as far as he would’ve liked, because once the fire was large enough and the Ten Rings’ men distracted enough, he had to backtrack and signal for Penny to emerge. It looked like the backup plan Yinsen had pushed for would end up being their way out.

A push of a button under one of his arm plates flipped up four plates in the armor — two on his shoulders, one at his waist and one at his knees — providing Penny with handholds, a foot stand and a latch that would go around her waist and attach her to the suit before liftoff.

It wasn’t the most secure mechanism in the world, but thankfully it only needed to keep her attached for a short period of time. It didn’t need to be crash-proof.

Penny didn’t hesitate to run out when he called her, and was quickly attached to his front. Within moments, Tony hit the thrusters and they were flying, just ahead of the massive cascade of explosions as the heavier artillery was finally set off.

Their ascent was hardly controlled, their descent even less so. As expected, the suit ran out of fuel midair and they began to fall, pieces of the armor beginning to fall apart as gravity took over.

“Ready?” he shouted at Penny, who only managed a single nod to signal that she was prepared for what was undoubtedly the most terrifying part of the plan. He detached the latch around Penny’s waist and she let go of the suit, pushing away so that she was free falling on her own. Keeping her close would only put her in more danger, not less.

She tugged on the straps of her backpack and the paraglider unfolded perfectly. If he could have, he would’ve sighed in relief.

Then Tony lost sight of her as his heavier weight and limited resistance had him falling faster than Penny. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best as he hit the sand.

The impact knocked the air out of him and rattled his entire body and he was pretty sure he blacked out for a moment. Next thing he knew, he was waist deep in sand, surrounded by the suit’s remains and blinking spots from his vision. He took several moments to catch his breath, pushing away the daze in order to get the suit off. He had to get free to find Penny.

It didn’t take long — although he had to stop for a moment when he discovered that he’d dislocated his right shoulder upon landing and nearly vomited from the pain — and soon he was scrambling up to the top of the nearest dune, scanning the area for Penny and calling her name.

He spotted her when she appeared at the top of another dune a not far away. He instantly ran towards her — although there was a great deal of slipping and sliding involved — and fell to his knees in front of the kid the moment she was within arms’ reach, looking her up and down and cupping her cheek with trembling fingers.

“Did it work? Are you alright? Are you hurt?” he asked frantically, hardly daring to believe that she’d landed unscathed.

She pointed to her left ankle with a wince, and he quickly pulled her into his lap. “Alright, can I take a look?” At her nod, he slipped her sock off, grimacing at the way she gasped in pain. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I gotta see how bad it is, _bambina_ ,” he babbled as he worked.

Thankfully, it didn’t look too bad. Nothing was obviously broken — there was some slight swelling, and while his gentle probing seemed to hurt, her reaction wasn’t strong enough to think that it was anything worse than a bad sprain or hairline fracture.

Which, combined with his dislocated shoulder, was leagues better than the worst-case scenarios he’d been imagining. Either of them could’ve died on impact, so all Tony could do was thank the universe for giving them a little bit of a break.

“I think it’ll be okay,” he said in relief, wrapping Penny up with his left arm and holding her close. “I’ll carry you until someone finds us. That explosion was big enough to get _someone’s_ attention. With any luck, the U.S. military will arrive first.” He heaved a sigh of relief, then laughed, the sound only mildly hysterical. “We did it, Pen. We got out. We’re going home.”

Something about his words must have eased her mind, because she slumped against him, her shaky breathing slowing down with her head pressed against the arc reactor.

They stayed that way for a long time, just soaking in each other’s presence and reveling in the relief that they were finally _out_.

Unfortunately they had to get moving eventually, so Tony covered Penny with the jacket he’d worn under the suit as protection from the hot metal so that she wouldn’t get sunburned and had her climb on his back.

Once she was secure, he started walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand, that’s a wrap for the first arc of this story!! 
> 
> I’m honestly amazed that I’ve even gotten this far and most of it can definitely be attributed to all of you lovely readers and reviewers who’ve checked out this story. The response I’ve gotten is so much better than I’d ever dared to dream for, so _thank you_ for all of your support! Just knowing that so many people are excited about this story and my writing is incredible! 
> 
> Like I’ve said before, it’ll be a few weeks before I’ll be posting again as I finish plotting out the rest of IM1 and writing the next five or so chapters in order to build up some momentum. I honestly can’t say how long that will take, but if RL plays nice, it shouldn’t be too long (although I may post some unrelated one shots in the interim that I’ve got sitting in Scrivener that are like 95% completed).
> 
> Let me know what you think of the story so far and if you have any requests/suggestions for what you’d like to see next for Penny!


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